


Room With a View

by CrescentDream24



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Love, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Romance, Roommates, Starfleet, Training, enemies-to-lovers-kinda, mccoy's an ass at the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:35:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 38,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25644400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrescentDream24/pseuds/CrescentDream24
Summary: You are extremely excited to start your first year at Starfleet Academy....even though the dorm rooms are turned co-ed this year due to an increase in new cadets. You've accepted that your roommate could be male, but you never in your wildest dreams excepted someone as harsh and brooding as Leonard Mccoy.
Relationships: Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Reader
Comments: 92
Kudos: 156





	1. Chapter 1

Author:  Crescent Dream 

Series:  Star Trek Alternate Original Series 

Disclaimer:  I do not own Star Trek or any of its characters 

Rating:  M (language....other stuff I haven’t written quite yet) 

**Room** **With** **a View**

_A/N: Hello out there! This is a multi-chapter Reader x Mccoy fic, based around them being roommates at Starfleet Academy. They get off to a rough start but slowly fall for each other. I will update the tags as I go with any warnings that come up as I continue with the story._

_I try to catch all errors or spelling mistakes, but it seems I always miss one or two no matter how many times I proof-read! I’ll fix them right away if I notice any._

_Please enjoy!_

Today was finally the day. 

You made your way purposefully across the main quad of Starfleet Academy, clad in your new crimson uniform with a large suitcase rolling behind you and a duffel bag slung over your shoulder. It was your first official day on campus, where you would be able to check into your assigned dorm room, take your picture for the student holo-ID you had to keep on your person at all times, and register for the classes you would be taking that semester. 

It was going to be a very busy first day, but at least there were no actual classes scheduled to take place. After you were finished rushing around and trying to find your way amongst the seemingly endless amount of impressive buildings strewn about the campus, you would actually have some free time to yourself to unpack, eat some lunch, and possibly venture back out to meet up with some of your friends who’d also been accepted to the Academy that year. 

You felt the immense rush of energy surrounding you as hundreds of other students bustled about the main quad, wearing the same uniform as you and toting around various amounts of luggage with them. It was another beautiful San Francisco morning, and you felt the warmth of the sun trail it’s light across your face as you made a bee-line for the dorms. 

As you neared the towering structure with its many windows facing the grassy area of the quad, you felt a nagging tendril of worry wrap itself around your current energetic mood. You hadn’t had enough money to request a private dorm room, and even if you had, they were few and far between, usually reserved for the more senior cadets. There was no avoiding it; you would be sharing your four years here on campus with a roommate----a virtual stranger to you as of right now. 

You had absolutely no idea what they would be like, and your mind ran wild picturing multiple worst-case scenarios, ranging from a drunk slob who constantly berated you to someone with an affliction for setting your belongings on fire. Sure, you had filled out that roommate compatibility survey the Academy had sent over with your welcome package a few months ago, but that didn’t guarantee anything. You had never lived with a roommate before-----unless you counted the two weeks you spent hanging out at your ex-boyfriend's apartment, living out of a suitcase. And you didn’t. 

Shifting the duffel bag you had slung over your shoulder, you guided the suitcase behind you carefully as you stepped into the dorm building, automatic doors closing with a swoosh behind you as soon as you entered. Multiple cadets milled around the brightly-lit foyer, most of them in groups, and you could see a few doors propped wide open as the occupants of those rooms drug in their belongings from the hallway. You stopped, quickly checking the room number you had haphazardly scrawled in ink across the top of your hand so you wouldn't forget. _218_. 

You made your way to the elevator at the end of the hall, feeling the weariness increase in your shoulder as you hitched up the duffel bag by its strap yet again, thinking back to the Academy welcome packet you’d received a few months ago. In addition to the roommate survey, there had been a notice that the dorms had been turned co-ed for the upcoming year, due to the higher than normal level of new recruits this semester. Not only did the co-ed rule apply to the population of the building itself, it extended to individual rooms as well. 

Ordinarily, roommates had always been assigned based on the gender they identified as---females with females and males with males. But, there had been an unexpected outbreak of Gryorakian flu in the Northern Hemisphere the year before, and the Academy had paused their entrance exams briefly. This year, to make up for the delay, Starfleet Academy had commissioned double the amount of entrance examinations they usually did and were trying to pack in as many students onto the campus as comfortably possible. It was encouraged for anyone who was able to make arrangements to stay off campus, but most cadets wanted the full Academy experience, even if it meant sharing a room with someone of the opposite sex. 

You found yourself fitting into that category, although you couldn’t deny that you would feel extremely relieved if it turned out your roommate was a woman. The roommate survey had given you the option to decline a male roommate if you so chose, but there was also a disclaimer under this option, stating that while the Academy would try everything they could to fulfill your request, there was a chance they may not have room for you. You hadn’t wanted to take that chance, and decided to throw caution to the wind. Besides, both of you would be so engrossed in your studies that you would barely have time to get acquainted with each other, let alone spend large amounts of time together, so you weren’t too worried. 

You hauled your things inside the elevator, thankfully sliding the duffel bag off your shoulder and onto your luggage for the short ride up to the second floor. The doors pulled open quicker than you anticipated and you frowned slightly as you shouldered the bag once again, slowly making your way down the long hallway until you found the door bearing the number plate you were looking for. You keyed the code into the keypad beside the door, thankful you had committed it to memory during the hovercar ride over to the campus grounds. You carefully turned the knob when you heard the click of the lock disengage. 

The door swung open with a squeak and your eyes slowly swept across the floorplan, taking in the room’s contents. Two twin beds stood in the center of the room, pushed against the wall on opposite sides, their headboards facing the door. You stepped in a bit and tilted your head around the door, glancing at the tiny kitchenette off to the left equipped with a food replicator, stove, and a bar fridge. Off to the right was a cramped little sitting area with a circular table and two dining chairs, along with some built-in overhead cupboards for storage. There was a narrow hallway just past the sitting area, leading to a bathroom and a linen closet, with a full-length mirror hanging across the door. A window facing out into the grassy quad stood between the twin beds directly in front of you, letting the sunlight hit the hardwood floor at your feet. It was small, but it would do. As your mother would say, it was _quaint_. 

To your relief, you didn’t see anyone else’s belongings set anywhere in the room yet, and you felt your anxiety ease a bit. Looking around again, you took the opportunity to pick out the bed you wanted—both mattresses were the exact same, but the bed closer to the hallway had a shelf built into the wooden headboard that would be perfect for holding the old-fashioned pictures you had printed off of your family before you left for the Academy. 

Letting out a sigh of relief, you let the duffel bag tumble off your aching shoulder and onto the mattress. Wheeling your luggage to the foot of the bed, you straightened up and listened as you heard the muffled voices of other cadets down the hall and the sporadic thumps against the walls as they hauled in their belongings. Excitement bubbled through you and you stepped to the window, placing a hand on the window frame as you looked out across the campus at the quickly moving forms over the grass below. The insignia of Starfleet stood tall and proud on the face of the main building at the center of it all, and you smiled to yourself. You made it------you were officially a member of Starfleet Academy. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

All your belongings had been carefully unpacked and sorted, and you were starting to feel a bit more at home. The tedious chore of unpacking luggage had never appealed to you before, but this time you had actually enjoyed yourself--- choosing the cupboards you wanted to claim as your own, packing away your clothes in the tidy under-bed pull out organizer your mother had gifted you before you left home (which you now were endlessly grateful to her for, it was a wonderful space-saver), and placing a few pictures of your family across the shelf of your headboard. It had only taken you about half an hour to fully unpack and inspect your new living quarters---there wasn’t a whole lot to see. But, it held the basic necessities for busy student life, and you enjoyed the view from the window nonetheless. 

Pulling your arms above your head, you arched your back in a full-body stretch, deciding to take a break from all the unpacking. You folded yourself on top of your bed, which you had covered with your favorite thick quilt and a few fluffy pillows, making it a perfect spot to lie back and relax. You grabbed up your PADD and logged into the Starfleet Academy database, wanting to look up tomorrow’s itinerary. You had a faint idea of what your schedule looked like, but you wanted to double-check the specifics. 

You were going to be majoring in Communications, a choice you had made even before you had arrived at the Academy. Language was your passion, and you were already quite fluent in a few, besides Earth Standard. Ever since you had gone to a career day at your high school, you had known that helping other races understand each other was your calling, and you felt lucky to be so sure of your career goals so early in life. 

But, even with a chosen major, all cadets still did their rounds through every main division of a starship, learning the basic fundamentals of each---Medical, Sciences, Security, Engineering and Navigation. The classes were merely introductory and only touched on the most important points, but they were by no means something to brush off. You expected a challenge from every division, especially medical. Learning anatomy had never been your strong suit-----languages you could pick up on almost instantly, but trying to figure out which artery was a tributary into a certain vascular bed or how to correctly inject someone with a hypo.....you were as good as lost. 

The first few months of Academy life were based around these introductory classes, but soon you would dive right into the bread and butter of your chosen major. You couldn’t wait to study the languages of space, decipher scrambled signals and learn the unique hailing frequencies of each starship. You leaned forward and swiped across the student schedule currently on your PADD screen with a finger, looking ahead a few months and feeling the corners of your mouth pull up into a grin as you got more and more excited with each course summary you read. 

A few hours slipped by with you hardly noticing them pass, and you finally looked up and saw the time, realizing your legs had grown numb from the position you had pretzeled yourself into. The bustling activity outside in the hallway had lessened somewhat, and you briefly wondered when your roommate would choose to announce themselves to you. The registrar's office would only be open for a few more hours, so whoever they were, they were certainly taking their sweet time. Not that you minded, really. It was nice to spend some time alone with your thoughts, getting used to your new surroundings. 

You sat down the PADD on the bedspread and wiped away the irrational hope in your mind that maybe, just maybe, you had hit the jackpot and you hadn’t been paired with a roommate after all. But you recognized that as purely wishful thinking. There was no way in the world that would ever happen----the campus was practically bubbling over with new cadets. Still....... 

Your thoughts wandered away from you as you picked up your PADD again, considering the possibility with growing excitement. You would have so much more room for all your things, and you wouldn’t have to worry about wearing clothes all the time (you usually slept with the bare minimum for pajamas....sometimes nothing at all if it was a particularly hot night). The tiny dining table would be all yours, and you could set it up as a make-shift study area if you wanted, maybe even bring in an extra chair or two. You had just decided how you were going to use the left-over cupboard space when you heard heavy footfalls just outside your door. 

The footsteps halted, and the sharp beeps of the keypad made their way to your ears as your face fell, all hopes of living alone dying away as quickly as they had appeared. You kept your eyes to the PADD in your lap, feigning nonchalance as your insides crawled with anticipation. 

The door was suddenly swung open, and a figure appeared in the doorway, a scowl adorning his face and an over-stuffed duffel bag clutched in one hand. You raised your eyes to the stranger as he stood there rigidly, taking in the room for a split second before making his way to the center of it in a few long strides. 

“Good _god_ , this place is a sardine can.” His voice dripped with disapproval as he let his bag fall unceremoniously onto the unoccupied bed. “Leave it to Starfleet to pack you into any damn space available.” 

He tossed a glance your way, and you realized your mouth was hanging open slightly. You quickly snapped it shut. 

“I see you’ve already taken the liberty of choosing where to sleep.” His words were biting as he turned to his bag, roughly unzipping the top flap and shoveling out his clothes onto the mattress beside it in a heap. “I’ll just fit my things wherever you’ve seen fit not to use.” 

You swallowed, his harsh tone putting you on edge. Setting your PADD down again, you straightened up a bit and swung both legs over the side of the bed, facing his back as he continued to shovel out his belongings. His shoulders were tensed up with agitation, and you couldn’t tell what exactly had set him off. You cleared your throat a bit and decided you might as well jump in and introduce yourself, sensing the sinking feeling in your gut at the knowledge that your roommate was in fact a male. 

“I’m Y/N. I guess we’re roommates, huh?” you offered up weakly. 

He paused his sorting, turning back to face you. You finally got a good look at his face, still pulled into a brooding scowl. His hair was short and well maintained, and his eyes were dark and intense. His cadet uniform was slightly wrinkled, and you noticed a tiny pin next to his Starfleet Academy insignia, in the symbol of a caduceus; two serpents intertwined along a short staff. It was the pin worn by a Starfleet doctor-in-training. You knew from talking with your friends that med students only got that pin after their third year at the Academy. You guessed he was older than you, but you couldn’t tell by how much. 

“Yes, I guess we are.” He looked back at you and you could practically feel the force of his annoyance radiating across the room. “But, I tell you, it isn’t by choice. I had a decent room in another dorm, spent three years there, in fact. Then suddenly, the geniuses at headquarters decided to ram the campus full to the gills.” 

He grabbed up one of his shirts, attempting to fold it in his hands before quickly giving up and tossing it back onto the bed. “Now, they decide to move me in with a lowly first-year cadet, clear across the damn campus, with barely more than a _how do you do_?” 

His anger was already clearly visible, so visible in fact that you were pretty sure someone with visual impairments and hearing aids would still be able to sense it. The prominent Southern twang to his voice seemed to amplify it even further. You felt like you were stepping through a mine field—one wrong move and you’d set him off for good. 

You bit the inside of your cheek and fiddled with the uniform cuff at your wrist. "I--If you want to change beds, I can move my stuff….” 

He gave out a humorless chuckle. “Don’t waste your time. You already made yourself at home.” His words were heavy with accusation. 

Your eyebrows furrowed, a spark of agitation flaring up in your stomach. You understood how frustrated he must be, moving all his things from a dorm room that he was alone and comfortable in to somewhere smaller and with a roommate on short notice---but he didn’t have to be such an ass about it. You were making sacrifices, too. It wasn’t exactly your first choice to shack up with a stranger. A male stranger, at that. 

You heaved out a breath and crossed your arms. “Well, this isn’t exactly what I planned, either. Everyone has to make allowances....it’s not that bad in here, really.” 

“Not that bad?” He cocked up an eyebrow and spread his arms wide. “I can almost touch both walls from the center of the room! Not to mention this sorry excuse for a kitchen.” He made his way over to the kitchenette and you glared at his back. His incessant ranting was beginning to wear thin with you. 

“Well, at least it’s functional. I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on making any three course meals while I’m here.” You crossed your arms tighter across your chest defiantly. 

He propped himself against the countertop with his hands behind him, leaning back as he looked down his nose at you. “You would think this is adequate, I suppose. You _are_ only a first year.” 

You bit your lower lip, anger slowly rising within you again. “Well, at least I still have manners! I don’t even know your name. You haven’t told me.” 

He raised an eyebrow again, looking you dead in the eyes. You felt yourself shy away unwittingly, and you sensed the heat creeping up through your skin at the agitation he was causing you. 

“It’s Mccoy. Leonard Mccoy,” he muttered, dropping your gaze as he suddenly crossed the room again, this time to his opened duffel bag. He rooted around in its remaining contents, finally digging out his PADD and making his way over to the door. 

“Don’t wait up,” he threw over his shoulder at you as he pulled open the door, letting it shut with a loud thud behind him. 

You sank down onto the foot of your bed, arms crossed and expression drawn up into a frown. Whatever you had expected your roommate to be, it certainly wasn’t this. _Who the hell does this guy think he is?_

_A/N: Thanks for reading! I plan on lots more chapters_ _....I’ll_ _try to update every week or two at least._

_Let me know what you think! I love comments and kudos---they give me life!_ _Haha_ _. But, seriously. I smile like a crazy person every time I get an email notification. It’s bad, guys._


	2. Chapter 2

**Room with a View**

**Chapter 2**

_A/N: Hey there....here is Chapter 2! It’s a bit short, the next one will be longer though! Just a look into the thoughts of the reader as she’s musing about her new roommate and how the heck she’s going to make this work. Hope you like! And as always, please let me know what you think._

As the sun finally set on your first day on campus, it drew long shadows across the dorm room and you were reminded of how tired you were. Getting your first look at the Academy grounds and settling into your room had sapped your energy more than you realized, and your heavy eyelids pleaded for sleep. 

Rising from your seat at the circular dining table in the corner, you slowly made your way through the hallway and into the bathroom, unwinding the few pins in your hair that held it up and out of your face. Your thoughts were still swimming, trying to make sense of the less-than stellar first meeting with your roommate a few hours before. His attitude had been so off-putting that a sizable part of you was seriously considering marching down to the cadet housing office first thing in the morning and filing for a room re-assignment. 

You took a facecloth and wet it with warm water, running it across your face over the bathroom sink as you mulled everything over. You finally decided to give him at least one more chance. He was clearly still coming to terms with the move from his previous dorm room and, admittedly, wasn’t handling it very well. To be fair, you imagined your reaction wouldn’t be much far off from his own if the situation were reversed. He said his previous living space was clear across campus—that was where all the single occupant rooms were housed. You tried to imagine moving into a place by yourself, and three years later be told to pack up and shove into a shared space that was probably half the size. Hell, it would probably take all the will power you had and then some just to crack a smile. At least you managed to get a name out of him—Leonard Mccoy. A bit old-fashioned, but a name nonetheless. 

You wrung out your face cloth and hung it to dry, grabbing up your toothbrush as you did so. You wondered if this Mccoy person was always so high-strung. If he was, living together would prove to be even more difficult than you first thought. You considered yourself to have a fairly easy-going personality, and you wondered if that one fact alone could be enough to save your roommate relationship. Maybe an even-keeled temperament would cancel out a more tumultuous one. Although, if you were being completely honest, you _did_ get a little tightly wound during exam time…but who didn’t? 

You shook your head as you applied some toothpaste to the brush. If you had to constantly tiptoe around this guy while trying to study, stay on top of all your classes and go through the unpredictable ups and downs of Academy life...you might be heading for a stress induced heart-attack, after all. 

You sighed inwardly as you brushed your teeth, hoping that the next time the two of you talked, things would go a little bit smoother and you could quit with all this worrying over something you couldn’t fully control.Your mind wandered back to your first conversation with him and the brushing motions got more aggressive without you realizing it. _If he ever uses that “lowly first-year cadet” line again_ _on me_ _again_ _, I’m not responsible for what happens_ _._ You spit into the sink and rinsed your mouth. 

Making your way back out to the main living area, you got down on both knees in front of your bed, pulling out the organizer you had sorted all your clothes into that afternoon. Your hands reflexively reached for your favorite sheer nightshirt, but pulled away just as fast. That nightshirt was just fine for when you were alone...but it was almost completely see-through. You felt your face grow marginally warmer as you thought of Leonard seeing you in something so revealing. Not exactly the second impression you wanted to make. You instead pulled out a respectable pair of flannel pajamas that covered almost every square inch of you, making a mental note to order some more from the online catalogue before you went to sleep. 

You pulled on the pajamas and washed up the few dishes you had used to whip up a basic dinner for yourself. You had no idea when Leonard was returning, and a part of you was on edge, standing guard for whenever he did decide to show up. Giving him a second chance didn’t mean you were going to let him walk all over you. You were going to be civil, but firm. 

You wandered back into the bathroom and your eyes grew wide as you looked at the basic shelving unit affixed above the toilet. In all your excitement of unpacking earlier, you had claimed the entire top shelf for yourself and had stuffed various toiletries up there. Face cloths, face wash, floss, nail polish.........and a bargain-value jumbo sized box of tampons. 

_Shit! Did he see those?_ You swallowed down a wave of embarrassment that quickly dissolved when you remembered he hadn’t ventured into the bathroom during his brief tour of your shared living space. _Thank god!_

You quickly grabbed up the box of feminine products, looking around for a place to stash them so they would remain undetected. Your eyebrows drew together as you contemplated the ridiculousness of what you were doing. _He’s a doctor, you idiot. What does it matter?_

You tilted your head with indecision, stepping a foot cautiously out into the hallway as you finally decided to hide the box in the linen closet, under a pile of extra blankets you’d brought with you from home. There. Problem solved _._

After safely stashing the box away, your eyes carefully combed the entire apartment looking for anything else you wanted to hide away from male eyes, cursing your rotten luck as you did. You would never have to worry about anything like this with a female roommate. 

Your eyes zeroed in on your hot pink bra sitting on top of your cadet uniform, still heaped on the floor from when you’d changed out of them earlier. Quickly, you scooped it up and stuffed it in your duffel bag at the foot of the bed and zipped it shut with a loud exhale. _I’ll have to be more careful......_

Your eyes landed on Mccoy’s canvas duffel bag, still sitting on his bed across the room with the top flap wide open for all the world to see. You’d only met the man once, but you already had so many questions. You sensed a jolt of curiosity run through your body as you took a few cautionary steps in its direction, then stopped yourself abruptly. You couldn’t just go snooping around in a stranger's things...only crazy ex-girlfriends or stalkers did that. But, the bag _was_ just sitting there. And maybe, if you could learn more about him, it would be easier for you both to get along. You could practically hear the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. 

You took a big breath and closed the distance between you and the bag in a few quick strides before you could talk yourself out of it, promising yourself that you would only _look_ at what was already exposed. You shamelessly peered into the bag’s contents, taking in a few wrinkled cadet uniforms and a couple lounging shirts strewn on top of each other, most of them still in a pile beside the bag. There was a bottle of cologne at the very bottom, but it was turned on its side so you weren’t able to see what brand it was. You let out a tiny huff of disappointment. Nothing exciting. 

You resumed your nightly routine as the sky turned completely dark outside the window and you decided to finally climb into bed. You had an even busier day planned tomorrow, full of orientations and meeting your fellow cadets and instructors. You picked up the small alarm clock you’d set on the shelf of your headboard, setting it for the correct time and wondering if it would wake up Leonard earlier than he needed. You had no idea what his schedule was like. Ideally, you would have discussed it with him before you went to bed, but he still wasn’t there. Your next meeting would have to wait. 

You shut off the lights and pulled the covers over you, rejoicing in the relative silence of the dorm. You were sure there would be nights where it wouldn’t be this quiet, but right now, it was perfect. Your eyes slid closed and you fell asleep within minutes. 

Hours later, a sudden thud near the door startled you awake, and you squinted out into the blackness of the room, the only light coming from the dim bulb above the stove. You were groggy and still half-asleep with the covers pulled up around you, but your eyes finally focused on a figure carefully making his way to the other side of the room closer to you. Your heart halted in fear for half a second before you recognized the figure as your roommate and your body relaxed as you watched him quietly from your position on the bed, facing towards the room. 

Leonard stood over his duffel bag across from you and pulled out a few clothing items, muttering under his breath softly as he did. It was tough to make out, but you were pretty positive you heard the words “ _goddamn_ _unbelievable_ ” and “ _sardine can_ ” as he zipped the bag closed. He set the clothes he had pulled out to one side, reaching across his hips and pulling the shirt of his cadet uniform up over his head. Your vision was still a bit unfocused, so it was hard to see any details in the darkness, but your imagination infused with the malleability of sleep jumped in readily to fill in the blanks. He hastily pulled on a thin t-shirt and went to remove his uniform pants in favor of a pair of boxer shorts. You closed your eyes briefly, affording him a bit of privacy. 

When you opened them again, he was gone, and you carefully turned your head over your shoulder towards the hallway where the soft bathroom light illuminated its walls. You heard the distinct sounds of teeth brushing and a quick gargle of mouthwash before the light was flicked off and he made his way toward his bed again. You moved your head back quickly as you carefully shifted your body to face towards the wall and shut your eyes, sensing his presence only a few feet away. You heard his footsteps pause right next to your bed, and you dared to squint your eyes open as scantly as you could manage. You saw his shadow across the wall in front of you, cast in the dim light of the oven bulb. 

The shadow bent over you slightly, as he was probably checking to see if you were awake. You mimicked your breathing tempo to match a person in deep sleep, and he straightened up again after a moment, going back to the other side of the room. You thought you caught the slightest whiff of alcohol when he had bent over towards you, but you couldn’t be sure. 

A light thump of his duffel bag hitting the floor met your ears as he unfurled a blanket across the mattress of his bed, covering his body over with it soon after. A couple minutes later and you heard light snores emanating from the direction of his silhouette as you gradually let your eyes close once again, and the world around you went black. 

OOOOOOOOO 

The shrill cry of your alarm startled you out a dreamless sleep, and you turned onto your stomach, groaning into your pillow in protest. Finally reaching out an arm, you slapped the alarm silent as you slowly rose into a sitting position. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you saw the empty bed across from you, covers crumpled over to one side where Leonard had tossed them back after getting up. You guessed you should have felt surprised to see him already gone so early, but somehow, you weren’t. 

Pushing yourself out of bed, you slowly shuffled your way over to the kitchenette, preparing to throw together a quick pot of coffee. You curse your stupid flannel pajamas as you feel the slick sweat on your neck from sleeping in something heavier than you were used to. The morning sun was just beginning to rise and you yawned into the cupboard you were currently looking through, trying to find the container of coffee grounds you had put there yesterday. Unsuccessful, you slapped the cupboard shut in groggy dismay, turning back towards the kitchen counter. 

The can of coffee grounds sat directly in front of you, with a pot full of freshly brewed coffee next to the sink, and a used mug off to the side. You cocked up an eyebrow. _Well, at least I know he likes coffee._


	3. Chapter 3

**Room with a View**

**Chapter 3**

_A/N: Hey there! A huge thank you to everyone who’s been following along with the story so far, it means so much to me. I love hearing your feedback, it makes writing just that much more fun!_

_Okay, here’s Chapter 3. We get some more interaction with Mccoy and Reader, and a few new characters are introduced. Hope you enjoy!_

_Warning: very very mild description of a fake injury_

“Let’s go, cadets! Double-wide formation.” The tour guide assigned to your group called out his order and you all followed appropriately as he guided roughly three dozen of you down the main hallway of the building that housed the Academy’s engineering division. 

You fell in step with the group as you craned your head up, taking in the high ceilings and immaculately polished floors that squeaked under your boots. Even more entrancing was the impressive starship engine bay passing by on your right. It was built especially for hands-on training, parts of it cut away to allow full view into its intricate inner workings. The panes of viewing glass stretched up all the way to the ceiling, letting you see the entirety of the ship in cross-section, a handful of cadets milling around its multitude of working parts. You could sense the hum of the engine nacelles vibrate the floor underfoot, like a growling beast being held in captivity. You had been impressed with almost everything at Starfleet Academy thus far, but this surely took the cake. 

You felt comfortable in the engineering department as a whole, and were already reasonably familiar with certain aspects of physics and starship dynamics thanks to your older brother, who was a ship engineer himself. He never served in space—usually performing maintenance on small cargo vessels as they came in to dock-- but you could still remember those late nights in your youth where you stayed up with him as he studied, pouring over his old physics textbooks as you sat beside his desk. Your favorite parts were always the glossy fold-out pages that held detailed Federation ship diagrams. You spent most of your time just staring at them and daydreaming, but some practical knowledge had managed to sink its way into your brain, too. 

The double-file group of cadets turned a corner and gathered in front of a large control board spanning the entire length of the wall, mimicking the master panel one would find connected to any Federation starship’s air recirculating unit. The tour guide pointed out some important features along with the emergency shut-off valve, and you perceived a light nudge of an elbow against your ribs. 

“I bet he doesn’t even have a degree in molecular thermodynamics.” Uhura whispered in your ear, smirking around her words. She was the first new friend you had made since you arrived on campus. You both happened to sit next to each other in the orientation room earlier that morning and fell into an easy conversation almost instantly. She was tall and gracefully beautiful, with smooth dark skin and sleek brown hair pulled up in a long ponytail. You wouldn’t have been surprised if she had been a ballet dancer at some point in her life with her lithe figure. 

You chuckled in agreement and rolled your eyes at her. “And yet, he’s the one in charge of leading us all.” 

Unfortunately, your reply had come just as the guide had paused for breath, and his eyes suddenly flew over towards the two of you. “Is there a _problem_ , Cadet?” 

His stare had fallen on you specifically now and you swallowed, feeling the muscles in the back of your neck tense up as multiple sets of eyes swiveled in your direction. “Ah...No, sir.” Your voice was uneven. 

“Then I suggest you focus on the lesson at hand here, or I’ll enlist a replacement that isn’t so easily distracted. Such negligence _will_ get you killed out in space. Is that clear?” His hardened tone left no room for objection. You nodded an affirmative and he resumed his lecture. 

A few minutes later, you felt another poke to the ribs. “Sorry,” Uhura mouthed soundlessly. You gave her a light shrug and a re-assuring smile as your group departed for yet another section of the Academy. 

You listened to the rest of the tour diligently, sensing your excitement level peaking when your group finally made their way into the Communications Department. Your gaze fell on Uhura and you could see that she shared your excitement as her dark eyes gleamed with wonder—she was also going to be majoring in Communications, like you, which made you feel endlessly relieved about having at least _one_ friend to see you through to the end of your major. 

As you stepped down the few stairs leading into the entrance of one of the learning labs, you gawked at the expansive mock-viewing screen towards the front of the room, currently showing a realistic virtual view of space through the eyes of a ship in warp drive. A couple feet down from the screen were several navigation platforms with chairs tucked behind them, some currently in use by fellow cadets and instructors. Your eyes widened in fascination as you noticed the communications consoles wrapping along the back of the room, their indicator panels gleaming under the bright lights of the training area. There was even a vacant captain’s chair in the very center of it all. You truly felt like you were standing on a starship bridge. 

“This is just one of the several training rooms we have at our disposal here at the facility,” the tour guide informed the group proudly. “Best in the quadrant.” 

You looked around you, trying to soak in every detail. The group disbanded briefly to explore the room and you and Uhura made a bee-line for one of the communications consoles near the back. 

“This is crazy. It’s so intricate!” You reached out and tentatively touched an orange button that stuck out overhead, wondering at its function. Uhura took a seat directly in front of the console, running her slender fingers lightly across the switches of the main board. 

“Can you imagine actually _running_ something like this?” you asked her in awe as you inspected a viewing screen showing a read-out that made absolutely no sense to you. Uhura tilted her head up to meet your eyes, swishing her ponytail as she did. 

“Babe, I _already_ know how to run this bitch.” She picked up an earpiece and held it close to her ear. “All frequencies open, _Captain_.” Her voice was dewy sweet and you laughed at her show of bravado. 

She carefully laid the earpiece down again, sighing. “To be honest though, this.....is going to take some adjusting to.” 

You nodded as the tour guide called for your group to round up again, and you set out back into the hallway. 

You had toured almost every major division by this point and met quite a few of the instructors along the way (although, most of their names had already escaped you). The only department that was left to visit was the medical bay, the one that excited you the least. You half-heartedly followed the group as it walked across the campus to one of the newer buildings towards the back. You had been told a while ago that the medical bay housed some of the most state-of-the-art equipment in the entirety of the Federation, and you knew you were extremely lucky to have access to it. But, that fact alone wasn’t enough to change your unenthusiastic feelings about the field overall. 

The medical bay was sprawling and full of interactive technology. You had thought the engineering department was spotless, but this department almost put it to shame; shelves of medical supplies were neatly organized into their respective bins and containers, all lined up precisely within an inch of each other. Every bare surface was so shiny you could see your reflection in most of them. The central room was flanked with biobeds and exam tables on either side, along with vital signs monitors mounted to the walls overhead. The tour guide informed the group that he’d only be showing you the main area of the medical division today, and the several other wings housing various diagnostic equipment and treatment centers would be shown to you at a later time. 

Multiple medical dummies were propped up on a few beds near the back, ready to mimic certain diseases and ailments. The tour guide performed a quick demo on a dummy who had a severe laceration to their lower leg, and you sensed the queasiness in your stomach as you saw the fake red blood ooze out of the wound where a bright sliver of bone was exposed. You couldn’t believe how real it seemed and you looked away, thinking a few other cadets would share in your revulsion. But to your surprise, no one else had moved, all still relatively interested in the demo. This sent a flicker of worry shooting through your nerves. _Am I the only one here that can’t stomach the sight of blood...even if it’s fake?_

You hazarded a glance to Uhura next to you, whose eyes were wide-- not with disgust but with curiosity. “Wow, that’s so lifelike!” she whispered, her eyes glued to the procedure as the tour guide steadily passed the head of the regenerator over the wound and it began to close on its own. 

“Now, this regen unit won’t _completely_ heal the wound in one pass, but it will stabilize it enough so you can safely transport the patient to a facility with access to better medical equipment and qualified medical personnel.” The tour guide set down the regenerator and led the group to the far end of the med bay, where it became closed off with a section of wide double-doors. “This is the back entrance to the Starfleet Academy Hospital. We have a pretty sizable hospital and ER on campus where all the cadets majoring in medical will carry out their practical rotations. It gets pretty hectic in there, but it’s essential for anyone training in the medical field.” 

Your mind suddenly thought back to your roommate without your permission. You’d managed to barely think of Leonard all day, but now there he was in your mind’s eye again, and you frowned slightly. You planned to go straight back to your room after this orientation was over to hopefully catch him and have some form of constructive communication. At the very least, you wanted to learn his schedule so you knew what hours to expect him back at the dorm. Wishing for anything beyond that was probably grasping at straws, you supposed. 

The guide highlighted a few more important areas of the med bay, and then finished off by handing out individual work assignments for the coming weeks. You and Uhura both got assigned to engineering and you felt a wash of relief as the group disbanded for the day. 

Uhura wrinkled her nose. “Engineering? Can’t really say I’m looking forward to that. I mean, I’ll _rock_ it of course, but....doesn’t mean I’ll like it.” You laughed at her as you both casually made your way back to the med bay entrance side by side. 

“At least we’re in it together. Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll be that way for the entire semester. That would be pretty cool.” And you meant it. You wanted to know this woman better, and she was proving to be quite easy to talk to. 

“I hope so, too. I haven’t really met anyone else yet except for you and my roommate.” Her eyes lit up at that. “Hey, I’ll have to introduce you to her when we get a chance. Her name’s Gaila. I just met her a few days ago, but she seems nice enough. She’s from Orion.” Uhura glanced over at you as you both stood just outside of the med bay, deciding which way to turn. “Have you met your roommate yet?” 

You raised up an eyebrow wryly. “Oh yes, I’ve met him alright.” You took a step in the direction of the hallway leading out to the main quad, but Uhura’s hand on your arm stopped you. 

“Your roommate is a _guy_?” Her expression clearly displayed her unspoken request for more details. You sighed and nodded your head. “Yep, he sure is. His name’s Leonard Mccoy. He’s majoring in medicine, in his third year.” 

“Wow. How do you feel about sharing a room with him?” You both leisurely leaned back against the wall beside the med bay entrance, idly watching the steady stream of cadets passing through the hallway like schools of trout. 

“I....don’t really know. I haven’t talked to him much. And when we did speak it was rather...brief.” You looked down at your cadet boots, crossing your arms in front of you. You noticed you had a habit of doing that whenever you were particularly guarded about something. An annoying habit you were trying to break. You quickly let down your arms at your sides again. 

Uhura tilted her head in thought, her ponytail draped across her shoulder. “Hmm. Well, it’s tough enough getting to know someone in a normal situation, let alone when you’re thrust together so suddenly. I’m sure he was just on edge. Give it a couple days...it’ll get better after that. And if not….there’s always off-campus housing.” 

You were staring out ahead of you aimlessly, pondering her suggestion when your eyes suddenly snapped to attention and you pushed yourself off of the wall. “Oh, god.” You muttered. 

“What, what?” Uhura craned her neck, urgently following your gaze to two men down the hall, making their way toward the medical bay at a steady clip. One was tall and lean, with short blonde hair and an easy smile on his face as he walked next to his companion, whose brows were drawn together in a familiar way as he looked down at the PADD in his hand, the corner of his mouth bent with the hint of a frown. Your roommate. 

“It’s him,” you supplied weakly. “It’s Mccoy.” You turned your body to leave but Uhura yanked you back. 

“No! You have to face him, Y/N. Just…pretend everything is normal.” She shushed your incessant objections as they neared, and you experienced a bloom of panic. You had no idea what to say to him. You watched helplessly as they approached, feeling like a small animal cornered by a predator, unable to escape. 

You saw the blonde man flick his eyes up at the both of you, and were momentarily rooted in place by the two orbs of piercing blue. You had never in your life seen such remarkably blue eyes on a male before. He was very attractive; not necessarily the type you usually went for, but attractive nonetheless. The way he carried himself demanded your full attention, as if he was some sort of authority figure. You would have thought he were one of the instructors had he not been in his cadet’s uniform. 

When you managed to pry your eyes off of him, they landed on Leonard at his side, noting with a wave of anxiety that he had now seen you, too. You noticed him lean over to his friend and say something, and they steered their way towards you and Uhura. You gulped and you felt her hand on your arm tighten ever so slightly in reassurance. 

“Well, hello there.” The blonde man with the blue eyes offered up smoothly to the both of you. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” His eyes seemed to linger on Uhura. 

She offered him a tight smile. “I’m Uhura. Nyota Uhura. And you are?” Her eyes appraised him, making judgments about his character just as quickly. 

He smiled under the scrutiny, bowing his head a bit. “Name’s Jim Kirk. Third year cadet. We were just on our way to the med bay here, ol’ Bones has a lab exam in half an hour.” He clapped his friend on the back, making the man start forward at the unexpected force. 

“I’m sure that’s not his real name, is it?” Uhura afforded Kirk a genuine smile this time, one that he reciprocated. You were glad they were carrying on the conversation for you. Your eyes tried not to meet Leonard's directly, but you mistakenly looked up at the wrong time, and your stare collided with his own brooding expression. You held each other’s gaze for half a second before looking away again. 

“Real name’s Mccoy.” He inclined his head towards Uhura in acknowledgment. “This kid here just decided to nickname me for no apparent reason. Guess my real name wasn’t good enough for ‘em.” 

Kirk laughed as you gently shifted your weight from foot to foot. “Hey, I haven’t heard any complaints from you until now.” His eyes landed on you knowingly and you held your breath. “I believe you two already know each other.” He gestured between you and Leonard. 

You decided you should finally break your silence. “Uh, yeah. We’re...roommates...Mccoy and I.” You chose to call him by his last name, it seemed too personal otherwise. You still felt weird saying it, like you were pretending the two of you were anything more than strained acquaintances. You looked over at him again, seeing his gaze still fixed on you. 

You swallowed. “Are you going back to our dorm after your lab? I was wanting to talk with you about a few things....roommate related.” You decided you’d better take advantage of this chance meeting now—you didn’t know when you’d be bumping into him again. 

Leonard’s eyes darted from your face to the entrance of the med bay just beyond you. “Well, actually--” 

“Sure, he’ll be free.” Kirk cheerily cut in on Mccoy’s words, causing another pointed glare to be tossed his way. “He’ll only be tied up an hour or two in the lab, tops. And then his whole day’s wide open. Right, Bones?” 

You were positive Leonard’s glare would have melted solid rock. 

“Right,” he ground out behind clenched teeth. The tension in the air was starting to get increasingly unbearable for you, so you decided to change the subject completely, focusing your attention on Kirk. 

“I’m Y/N L/N, by the way. Nice to meet you.” Kirk looked over at you and you noticed the brilliant blue of his eyes yet again. 

“Likewise. You pick your major yet, Y/N?” He crossed his arms leisurely, not at all uncomfortable in the awkwardness he had been responsible for creating between you and your roommate. 

“Communications. Uhura and I, both.” Uhura nodded in affirmation beside you. You thanked your lucky stars that she was there. 

“Ah, peacekeepers of space.” He tilted his head back. “Can’t ever have enough of those people out there in the void. I’d assume you’d have to possess quite a bit of patience to do that. Especially when the other party you’re communicating with is being rather...difficult.” He shot a sidelong look at Leonard, causing the doctor-in-training to roll his eyes heavenward. An alien race two galaxies away could see what Kirk was getting at. 

“Any good communications officer knows that the key to peaceful negotiation between two foreign nations is all about give and take.” Uhura spoke up from your side, setting her stare on Kirk. 

“Without question,” he said. “I think you chose the right field, Nyota Uhura.” He offered her a quick wink and she raised an eyebrow. “Well, I better let Bones go do his lab,” he continued. “Don’t think he’d forgive me if I was responsible for breaking his concentration.” 

He chuckled and Mccoy shot him another glare. “You bet your ass I wouldn’t.” He softened his look somewhat and regarded the two of you again, his eyes remaining on you a few milliseconds longer than normal. 

“See you guys around.” He stepped away with a nod towards Jim, hurriedly disappearing through the entrance of the med bay. 

“We better get going, too.” Uhura intoned smoothly. “Lots of things we gotta study up on today.” 

Kirk kept his blue eyes fixed on her, and you got the sense that he was more than a little interested in your friend. “Well, if you ever need any help, you know who to ask.” His upper lip hooked up into a confident smirk as Uhura pursed her lips, and you could tell she was fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Uh, yeah. I’ll remember that.” She tugged on your arm and turned away, leaving you to stumble behind her, offering Kirk a quick wave before you two disappeared around the corner. 

You both made sure you were out of earshot before stopping again and turning to face each other farther down the hallway. 

“Okay, Kirk is _majorly_ into you.” It was like you were back in high school, sharing in the latest gossip of the day with the popular girl all the boys chased after. 

Uhura rolled her eyes. “That guy is into anything with a pulse. That’s Jim _Kirk_. He’s a player by every definition.” You didn’t disagree. Kirk did appear to be the type to try and play the field, but not in an overly sleazy way. He seemed rather friendly and you hoped you’d see more of him. You had a feeling you would, especially if he was Leonard’s friend. 

Uhura leaned in closer. “That Mccoy though...at least he isn’t sore on the eyes.” 

Your eyebrows shot up almost as high as your hairline. “What? You think he’s good-looking?” 

“Well, yeah! I mean, he seems like he’s on the grouchier side but, I’m sure he’s not like that all the time.” 

You shrugged your shoulders indifferently as you both resumed your walk down the hall. “One would hope.” 

After taking a stroll around the quad, you both decided to stop in at one of the cafeterias on campus and have lunch together. It was wonderful having someone to talk things over with, and you felt much lighter after a few hours of carefree conversation. 

The afternoon sun shone bright and hot as you both said your goodbyes, and you started back to your dorm with weary feet, wanting to relax for a few hours before hitting the books and doing your required readings for your first engineering lecture in the morning. 

You pressed in the keypad code beside your door and let yourself inside. You were already out of your cadet boots and about to pull off your uniform before you realized Leonard was sitting at the dining table. You almost jumped out of your skin. 

“Did I scare you?” he drawled, the smallest hint of a smile on his face as he looked up from the PADD in his hand. 

“Oh! Yeah, just a bit.” You tried to calm your racing heart back to its natural rhythm as you ventured over to the table, pulling out the other dining chair and sitting across from him. “I’m glad you’re here, actually.” 

“I’ve never heard that before,” he grumbled as he raised a mug of coffee to his lips. 

“I just.....wanted to go over a few things. If you don’t mind.” You laid your hands on your lap as you talked, trying to decide whether or not he was in a good mood. “Since we’re going to be living together for a while...I think it’d be wise to iron out the details.” 

He cocked an eyebrow, setting his mug down as he swallowed a mouthful. “Such as?” 

“Well.....” You had thought of a laundry list of things you wanted to discuss before, but now as you sat there under his stare, you were struggling to think of any. “Okay, how about...guests. What should we do about guests?” 

“Guests?” His eyebrow climbed even higher. “Just what kind of things are you planning on doing in your off time?” 

Your eyes widened immediately at his suggestion. “What? No, I meant....like, friends and stuff. Nothing...like that.” Your pulse galloped again as your mind flashed the image of you trying to bring a date back to the dorm with Leonard still there. You shook the unnerving thought out of your head and continued. “I think we should have a rule like....no guests after 8pm. So we won’t distract each other.” You looked up at him then, hoping he wouldn’t have any objections. 

He kept his eyes on the PADD in his hands. “Okay by me.” He took another sip of coffee. 

“Good.” You shifted in your chair while you tried to think up another rule. At least he was agreeing with you so far. “I was thinking we could try to keep the mini-fridge stocked. The replicator is nice and all, but it’s still good to have some actual food around. I don’t mind picking up a couple food staples every week. We can split the bill at the end of the month.” 

He swiped at the screen in front of him as his eyes moved across its contents. “Mmm-hmm.” 

“And, I guess we’ll have to share cleaning duties. The bathroom and the kitchenette. I was thinking we could make up a schedule for that. Maybe each of us can take care of it once every other week?” 

He looked up at that. “What?” 

“.....or, we could each have a separate section of the apartment we can be responsible for.” You could see a crease forming in between his eyebrows, and you knew you’d said something wrong, but you weren’t quite sure what. 

He leaned over a fraction. “Well, considerin’ I have early morning lectures five days a week and late-night labs just as often for the foreseeable future, that’s really not gonna to work out, now is it?” He set his PADD down on the tabletop. 

Your expression knotted in confusion. “Alright, well....maybe on the weekend you could--” 

“Oh, the weekend? You mean the weekend where I work two shifts at the ER? Try again.” His eyes pierced into you now, and a swell of anger seeped through your body. You took a breath and sat back, crossing your arms. 

“How about...for _once_....you try to help find a solution instead of biting my head off?” 

“I think the solution is pretty damn clear,” he said, the volume of his voice rising ever so slightly. “You’re a first-year cadet, you have more time on your hands than I do.” He looked away and picked up the PADD again, considering the subject closed. 

The rush of anger turned into a full-on flash of rage. “Okay, that’s it! I’m tired of this.” You pressed your fingers to your temples as you tried to tone down the harsh edge of your words. “You think I’m so inferior to you, because I’m a first year? Because I’m not as experienced? Because it just so happens that I entered the Academy a few years after you did?” You stood up abruptly and the chair scraped across the floor. 

He was staring at you again, and you thought you saw the look in his eyes soften as he opened his mouth to speak. “No, it’s not that I think you’re inferior, I just--” Usually, you probably would have tried to hear him out, but your anger was clouding your better judgement. 

“Well, if I’m so inferior, then I guess I’m even more of a fool to think we could sit down and have a rational conversation. I don’t even know your schedule! I wanted to plan everything out so we could at least try to live together in peace. But I see now that was a complete waste of time!” You whirled around, grabbing your boots and tugging them on quickly. 

Leonard said nothing, still clutching the PADD in his hand as he watched you angrily storm out the door, letting it close behind you with a slam. 

OOOOOOO 

Slowly breathing in the crisp air of late afternoon helped to calm you as you tried to reign in your stormy emotions. You were utterly ashamed at your outburst. Sure, Mccoy was once again proving that he couldn’t be reasoned with, but that didn’t mean you had to go and throw a tantrum like a five-year-old. You decided to hang out at the campus library for a few hours, letting yourself cool off and have time to reflect on how you’d reacted. The quiet library atmosphere paired with the smell of old-fashioned books always put you in a better mood. 

You stepped foot back in your dorm a bit later, expecting to find Leonard still there, as you’d only been gone a few hours. But the room was empty and your shoulders relaxed, happy for the solitude. You didn’t really feel like trying to talk to him again just yet. 

As you made your way over to your bed, a piece of paper on the kitchen counter caught your eye and you stepped over to it, picking it up with your head cocked in curiosity. 

It was a grid, meticulously filled out in pen for each day of the week this month, outlining various class times and lab assignments. It took you a moment to realize it wasn’t your schedule. It was Leonard’s. 

_A/N: Thanks for the read! Take care of yourselves out there._ :) 


	4. Chapter 4

**Room with a View**

**Chapter 4**

_A/N: Hello! Time for another chapter. I hope you guys are okay if this thing turns into like....a 10+ chapter_ _fic_ _. I keep getting new ideas every day! There’s just so many situations to explore._

_Hope you enjoy this one_ _😊_

The next few weeks passed by you in a frenzied blur. You hardly had time to focus on anything at all since your engineering studies demanded your full and undivided attention. Certain sections of the material were proving easier for you to grasp thanks to your older brother’s engineering background, and you meant to videocall him whenever you got a chance to thank him for letting you use his old set of notes. They were from his first semester at the technical college he’d attended, and he had sent them over to your PADD virtually. Some of the notes went into much greater detail than your beginner engineering course required, but everything was wonderfully neat and organized, so it was easy to find the particular subjects you were looking for. 

Other areas of your course were exceedingly difficult however, and required hours of painstaking effort to process and understand. You had at least three schematic diagrams on your person at any one time, and you felt as if you dreamed only of warp engine layouts and mainboard circuitry. You buried your head in your studies, only coming back up to attend to necessary functions such as eating and sleeping. You forced yourself to block out all distractions in your life (including your roommate) to keep a stronghold on your focus. 

This morning was definitely _not_ one of those times. You currently sat at the small dining table of your dorm with your forehead resting in your palm, the impending pressure of a headache hinting around your temples. A steaming cup of tea sat beside your PADD as you tried to pack in a couple more chapters of reading material. There was an engineering lecture later that morning with a written exam immediately afterward, something you and Uhura both were equally dreading. Your brain was the consistency of wet cotton—thick and heavy as your eyelids drooped with lack of sleep. You stayed up later than you should’ve the night before, meticulously going over your lab notes with a fine-tooth comb and trying to remember all the critical components of a Federation-standard warp core. 

Your eyes glazed over as the words on the PADD’s screen lost all meaning, and your stare wandered off the diagram of engine specs to a bare spot on the wall. After losing yourself in a vague daydream for a few moments, you huffed out a sigh and powered off the PADD with an impatient flick of your wrist. There was no point in trying to study anymore, your mind just wasn’t into it. 

The corner of your eye caught on the lone paper sitting in the middle of the table—Leonard’s schedule. You’d been meaning to fasten it to the mini fridge with a magnet for weeks now, but hadn’t gotten around to it. Taking a sip of tea, you picked it up and studied its contents, as you had done about a dozen times before. You squinted as you tried to decipher the words scrawled in ink under today’s date. The letters were tall and looped, filling up each square on the grid easily. It would be somewhat elegant script if it didn’t all run together. He definitely fit the stereotype of doctors and their sloppy handwriting. 

You sat back in your chair, adjusting yourself cross-legged as you analyzed the schedule further. According to this, he had a shift at the Academy hospital for the majority of the day today, and an online lecture in the evening. You took another long sip of tea, once again letting your mind wander aimlessly as your brain rejoiced in the break from studying. Ever since your blow-up with Leonard three weeks ago, you had expected your already strained roommate relationship to flush even farther down the drain. Surprisingly though, it appeared recently that things between you two had done the exact opposite. 

You and Mccoy were actually being civil towards each other. You co-existed in a neutral environment devoid of any overt emotions--going about your lives mutually side-by-side, like two ships silently passing each other in the night. You were by no means “friends”, but it seemed that you could both finally share a room together without spiraling into some sort of a shouting match, and you interpreted that as a win. Nothing was ever spoken between you about how you’d acted the night he’d written up his schedule; it was as if it never happened. 

You still didn’t feel completely at ease in his presence yet, but at least you could let your guard down marginally. It was exhausting being around someone all day that provoked you at every turn, so you were glad for the brief respite. As you’d expected, your schedules were so different from each other that both of you were hardly home at the same time. Everything had gradually fallen into some semblance of a routine. 

For example, you knew that every morning the strong scent of coffee would be the first thing to greet your senses as you stirred in your bed, and you would hear Leonard quietly getting ready before you had even fully awoken. You would see him gently closing the kitchen cupboard as he put back the coffee grounds, avoiding any loud noises as he grabbed up a fresh Academy uniform from the pile under his bed. 

It seemed he was always gone before you got up and returned to the dorm again after you were asleep. A part of you pitied his seemingly never-ending schedule, and you often wondered how he mentally coped with being so busy. The floorboards would creak and you knew he was making his way to the bathroom for a quick shower, something he did every morning without fail. The smell of coffee would slowly dissipate and you’d get a faint hint of his cologne instead, a fragrance you tried to peg down more specifically the more you inhaled it. Traces of woody, earthy tones with notes of citrus and spice. The scent was oddly comforting to you as he closed the front door behind him, and your eyes would usually drop closed again for a few more hours. 

When he got home, you were usually in bed again, or propped up on your pillows with PADD in hand, trying to pack in some last-minute readings. He’d offer you a brief hello and you would answer in turn, both going back to your business and skipping any small talk. Every once in a while you’d bring him up to speed on something you thought he ought to be aware of, like the new groceries you had picked up, or the fresh towels you’d put in the bathroom (how you wished your dorm had in-room laundry!). He’d nod at you in acknowledgement with a half-hearted uptick of his mouth, or tell you about how something in his schedule had changed, and you’d mark the addendum on the paper sitting at the table. You were thankful that he was at least making an attempt at keeping you up to date. You’d slip into bed and leave the kitchen light on for him as he sat with his study material, knowing he’d be up for a bit longer. You still hadn’t gotten used to the heavy flannel pajamas, but your modesty demanded them. 

You’d lay on your side and eventually hear Leonard brush his teeth and change into a light t-shirt and pajama pants. You noticed he had two ways of falling asleep---either on his side facing the wall as soon as his head hit the pillow, or hours later after laying flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling with his hands folded across his middle. Sometimes you swore he’d only been sleeping a couple hours before his alarm beckoned him to get up and start yet another day. No matter how little he slept, he always got up with that alarm. 

You’d come to the conclusion based on your one and only discussion about it, that you’d be the one responsible for cleaning the dorm room. Instead of getting up in arms, you resigned to your fate and tried to do as much as you could. Dishes were easy at least—Leonard replicated most all of his meals, and skipped breakfast entirely. You were surprised and delighted to see that he’d actually washed the small pile of dishes that were in the sink a few days ago, hoping it was a sign of better things to come. 

Later that day, your mind was still swimming with all the new information you’d been exposed to during your most recent engineering lecture. The exam had been tougher than you’d anticipated, and although you were fairly sure you at least passed, it sapped all your energy in the process. Nevertheless, you now found yourself on the way to the Academy library, wanting to brush up on your knowledge of transporter systems before calling it a day. You were quite clear on how a present-day transporter functioned, but the course demanded that you be well-versed in the _history_ of the systems as well; from the time they were first invented to the technological advancements that warded off various ill-effects encountered when beaming first came into mainstream use. The history of transporters and their malfunctions was actually pretty gruesome. 

As you jogged up the library steps, you noticed a signboard in the window, stating the library was currently booked for an on-campus function and would be out of service for several hours. The Academy library was the oldest building on campus, and its historical beauty made it a prime location for a whole host of campus activities, especially when they involved members of the community or donors with deep pockets. You sighed in frustration, quickly taking off back towards your dorm as your shoulder bag methodically thumped your back with every step. 

You checked your watch, noting with annoyance that Leonard’s online lecture was starting just about now. You didn’t know if he planned to view it from the privacy of your shared dorm, or if he would find a quiet study area elsewhere on campus. You toyed with the notion of finding one of those study spaces for yourself until you concluded that you wanted nothing more than to get out of your Academy uniform and stretch out on your own bed with a textbook. Whether Leonard was there or not, it didn’t really matter. You couldn’t avoid him all the time. 

You stood at the door to your room moments later, letting yourself in and listlessly dropping your shoulder bag onto the countertop as you wearily kicked off your boots. Leonard was already there, seated in his usual place at the table. You noticed that he always did his studying there, and never on his bed like you regularly did on top of yours. He’d changed out of his uniform and his headphones were in as he focused intently on the PADD in front of him, and you assumed the lecture had already started. His expression was drawn up in concentration and a few fingers played at his chin. For some reason, you thought the look suited him. 

You made an exaggerated wave in his field of vision so you wouldn’t sneak up on him and he looked up, popping out an earbud. 

“Hey, sorry. Just wanted to let you know I was here.” You made your way over to your bed. 

“Oh, thanks.” He went to put the earbud back in but paused, taking in the tension of your shoulders and your weary expression. “Don’t you usually study at the library right about now?” 

His tone was inquisitive, not disapproving. You’d went out of your way several times to mention the library was where you preferred to study; you hadn’t wanted him to think you’d always be hanging around in the dorm, in case he wanted to study there himself. You had no idea why you went to such lengths to make a stranger feel at home after he’d been so rude to you, but that was a rhetorical rabbit hole to explore another time…..when you had more energy. 

“Yeah,” you sighed and slowly sat on the edge of the bed, tugging off the maroon outer layer of your uniform and leaving only the black undershirt behind. It was of good quality and not at all see-through, so you felt fine wearing it around him. “It’s closed right now, apparently. Some sort of function going on. I knew you had a lecture right now, so I was going to try and clear out. But, I’m exhausted.” 

You looked up apologetically, expecting to be met with irritation, and you were. But, to your surprise, it wasn’t directed at you. 

“Damn Starfleet and all those ‘donor appreciation’ galas they throw. Always trying to impress the shit outta somebody.” He rolled his eyes, setting the one earbud on the table. “That library gets booked more often than a hover-limo on prom night.” You smirked at his analogy. 

“Yeah, if I’d have known it was such a popular spot, I would have found somewhere else to study altogether.” Your eyes meandered around the room, trying to decide if you actually had the energy to crack open a textbook. 

“Well, this is as good of a place as any. It’s pretty quiet ‘round here as far as dorms are concerned.” His gaze went back to his PADD and you almost had to shake yourself. Was he actually.....giving this place a compliment? 

“Uh...yeah, it’s not so bad.” You tried to sound unaffected as you stood up and kneeled in front of your bed, pulling out your clothing organizer and selecting some lounging clothes. You bunched them in your fist and took a few steps towards the bathroom, turning back to Leonard briefly. “You sure you’re okay with me studying here?” Part of you was still in shock at how amicable he was being. 

He flicked his hazel eyes up at you and it felt like he could see directly into your thoughts. It was unsettling. 

“Fine by me. Unless you plan on reading with music or somethin’...then you better get the hell out.” His tone was the same one he used when you’d first met him, but somehow you knew he wasn’t altogether serious this time. 

You quirked up an eyebrow. “No danger of that, I promise.” 

After you’d changed into a loose-fitting tee and sweats in the bathroom, you stepped back out into the main living space, seeing that both his earbuds were in and his full attention was on the screen again. You rounded up all your study supplies while dropping the window shades next to the bed, cutting off the intense rays of sunset pouring into the room. After making a comfortable back rest out of your pillows, you sat back on your bed with a sigh of contentment, situating your textbook and highlighter across your lap as you did so. 

You got through about a chapter and a half before you sensed your eyes fighting to close on you. Shaking your head, you took both hands and rubbed them across your lids, wanting to at least make it to the end of the chapter you were currently working on. Transporter physics really did interest you, but it just wasn’t enough to keep you awake. As you tried to read on, you were momentarily aware of your eyes sliding closed ever so slightly before you were startled awake by a voice across the room. 

“Maybe you should consider callin’ it a night.” His low voice held a hint of amusement as he took in the sight of you trying to fight a losing battle with exhaustion. “Whatever you manage to read won’t stay in your head now, anyway.” His online lecture was over, and his earbuds were out completely now. 

“Ugh, maybe you’re right.” Your voice was groggy as you rubbed your eyes again. “I just have so much to cover.....” 

“Where you at now, transporter physics?” He sat over in his chair, trying to get a glimpse of your textbook. “Hell, that’s easy street. Wait until you get into tactical and security engineering. Force-fields, deflector systems...now there’s a real challenge.” 

“Well, it might have been a cakewalk for _you_ , but for some people, it’s hard right _now._ ” You hadn’t meant to add such an edge to your words, but your sleep-addled brain was having trouble making sense out of anything at the moment. 

Mccoy frowned as he regarded you, crossing his arms at his chest and leaning back in his chair. “If you’re strugglin’ this much in your first month, it doesn't bode well for your future. Do you really think it’ll get any easier?” 

Now you frowned, annoyance bristling up along your spine. “This is _hard_ . Starfleet Academy is _hard_. It’s not meant to be easy and I never expected it to be.” Mere minutes ago, you fully intended on heading to bed, but now, you re-balanced your textbook on your lap and focused in on the page in front of you with a renewed burst of energy to prove him wrong. 

You heard him exhale and hazarded another glance in his direction. “I wasn’t meanin’ to attack your work ethic or anything. All I meant was, if what you’re doing isn’t working for you right now, you might want to look at changin’ it. You’re here for the long haul...might as well try to find a system that works for you while you’re at it.” 

“Well, it’s not like you’re much better. Some nights you barely get two hours of sleep. I don’t know how someone can function properly with that kind of schedule.” 

His eyes hardened. “I can handle it. You don’t see me fallin’ asleep on top of my books, do you?” 

You bit your lower lip. You didn’t want to agree with him, you really didn’t. He was arrogant, disagreeable, and down-right irritating, but he had a point. You were burning out and it was only the first couple weeks of school. Maybe trying to cram chapters of knowledge into your skull every spare second you had wasn’t the way to go about this. Maybe you had to re-structure your studying patterns, after all. 

Thinking back even farther, you realized you’d been running yourself ragged ever since orientation. You’d had lunch with Uhura and a few study sessions together since then, but you hadn’t taken any time to explore the school grounds, call home or do something as simple as watching a movie in your dorm. 

“You could be right....I guess. There’s only so much I can do.” You conceded but held your guard up anyway, wondering what else he was going to say on the subject. 

He pursed his lips. “The Academy isn’t like any other college or university. You don’t get to throw out half the knowledge when you graduate ‘cause it doesn’t pertain to your specific field. Everything you learn here is critical. You’ll need every damn ounce of it when you’re standin’ on the deck of a starship for real.” 

You were sure he was right, but he was starting to sound like a parent lecturing a child. “Oh, really?” You slid up in your position on the bed, fully awake now. “What makes you so sure? I’ll probably never have to know what makes a warp drive work.” 

He gave out a dismissive exhale and raised his eyebrows. "Space is filled with death and disease. You might not ever work a day in the engineering department, but what happens if the lead engineer is somehow incapacitated and half the crew is held hostage, unable to attend to the antimatter chamber that’s about to go nuclear? As soon as you take your safety for granted, you’re already dead.” 

You tilted your head to the side slightly. “Sounds like you don’t even like space.” 

He huffed and leaned back again, propping his feet up on the chair across from him. “I don’t.” 

“Seems like an interesting career choice. You _do_ know this is all training for a job... _in_ space, right?” 

He gave a curt chuckle at that. “Yeah well....we don’t always end up where we thought we’d be, now do we?” 

You smiled and marveled inwardly at the conversation you two were having right now. This was the first time you had actually sat in the same room for hours at a time, never mind carried on a largely civil discussion. You hadn’t the foggiest idea that he held such disdain for going out into the void, and learning this made you want to find out even more about the doctor-in-training. 

“Was being a doctor a part of your plan?” You busied your fingers with folding the outer corner of your textbook page inward on itself. 

“For a long time it wasn’t....but I was told I had a knack. Can’t run from talent forever.” His smug grin should have rubbed you the wrong way, but somehow it didn’t. His answer was somewhat ambiguous, and you felt like it was on purpose, so you moved on. 

“I knew I wanted to work in communications for a long time. It was something that always fascinated me. Communicating with other species, on other planets. I don’t know, it’s just so...exciting.” You continued running your finger across the edge of the folded page, lost in thought. 

He nodded. “It’s good you already have a passion for what you’re doin’. Some people lose that early on, and it’s pretty well downhill from there. Communication is paramount when you’re up there with the stars.” 

Your eyes locked, and you two held a mutual understanding in that moment. You both coveted space and feared it equally. 

He broke the contact suddenly and his eyes fell on the time readout on the stove. “It’s almost midnight.” His voice was flat. 

“Yeah....guess I really should get to bed now.” You slapped your textbook shut abruptly, and the loud clap resonated throughout the room, deafening compared to the low tones of your conversation. As you were gathering everything off your bedspread, he wordlessly stepped behind you and pulled his own covers back. You turned out the main lights and made sure the door was locked. 

You were in bed for about ten minutes, and you figured he’d already fallen asleep when his voice unexpectedly whispered out into the darkness across from you. “Hey.” 

You turned your head on the pillow towards him, still laying on your back. “Yeah?” 

“Take a break from studyin’ tomorrow, will ya?” 

You smiled up at the ceiling, some deep part of you flattered that he cared at all. But then, you thought back to all the material you still had to cover and your smile faded away, replaced with a gnawing knot of worry. 

“I’ll try,” you whispered back into the darkness. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

“Here, let me do it.” 

“Uhura, it’s not that simple......” 

You shuffled aside as Uhura confidently stepped up to the mock transporter control panel, facing the transporter pad a couple feet away. 

Her dark eyes glanced over to a solitary watermelon sitting on the floor at the center of the training room. The instructor stood behind you both and looked on as Uhura’s fingers danced over the keys, her brows drawn in concentration. The transporter soon emitted a loud hum, and the air overtop the watermelon crackled with energy. Nothing else happened for a few moments, and Uhura leaned in closer to the controls, her hands manipulating the honing device on the panel more urgently. Several more moments passed, and you leaned closer to offer help, but she waved you off. Suddenly, the crackling energy turned into a stream of light, and the watermelon faded away into thin air. 

“Yes!” Uhura hissed to herself through her teeth as she continued to adjust the panel. The rest of the student group stood behind a protective pane of glass, observing everything as all eyes went to the transporter pad expectantly. 

Nothing happened as the hum of the transporter suddenly died out, and Uhura looked down at the controls again, her lips turning into a frown of puzzlement. She adjusted some dials, and the hum returned much louder than before. A visible crackle of energy appeared in the air once again overtop one of the transporter pads in front of you both. Uhura broke out into a grin as she continued to coax the transporter to life and an image of a watermelon began to form within the beam of energy. 

Abruptly, the energy in the air ceased, and the watermelon crumpled unceremoniously onto the floor of the transporter, mangled into hundreds of pieces. Uhura watched dejectedly as parts of it slowly dripped off the pad onto the few stairs leading up to the platform. 

“Good try, cadet.” the instructor encouraged as Uhura stepped away, her jaw set in defeat. “It goes to show just how delicate transport mechanics are. These instruments are responsible for human lives, and although a malfunction when run by a qualified technician is extremely low, there is always room for error.” 

The lab group was dismissed, and you and Uhura made your way back outside. “I’m definitely going to have to read up on those controls. That shouldn’t have happened.” Uhura’s chin stuck out stubbornly, and you nudged her in the arm. 

“Oh, come on. I couldn’t even get the beam to pick up the watermelon's coordinates. We have transporter practice for three more days. I think we’ll get the hang of it by then.” She smiled a bit at that, and you turned to say goodbye, planning to go up to your dorm and relax a bit before hitting the books. You were trying to take your roommate’s advice by staggering your study sessions instead of having one long marathon. 

Uhura shot you a weird look. “Wouldn’t Mccoy be at the dorm right now?” 

“Yeah, it’ll be fine. We actually had a decent conversation last night.” You shrugged. 

Uhura gaped at you. “Are you kidding?” 

You flashed a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, it was probably a one-time thing. A statistical anomaly.” 

You stood with her a moment longer, making plans for a lunch study session the next day before turning and heading back to your dorm. 

_A/N: Nothing too exciting in this chapter, but don’t worry. There’s some stuff in the works! Thanks for the read and all you amazing people that spoil me with kudos and comments. You guys rock!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Room with a View**

**Chapter 5**

_A/N: Hey there! This chapter is a little longer than the others, but I didn’t think you’d mind._ _😛_ _I just finished writing it tonight (Sunday night), because I’m in denial that my weekend is already over. Hope you enjoy!_

You were late. 

Not late to a class in the lecture hall or an afternoon lab exam. Not late to a meet-up with friends, either. You were _late_. 

Actually, it was your monthly visitor who was running behind, not you. 

You let out a weighted breath as you stared at your PADD cross-legged on the bed, checking the period-tracker app you had installed on there a few years ago. Ever since your late teens, your period had come every month at the same time without fail, and you had little reason to track it. Over the last year or so though, it had gotten a bit more unpredictable and you decided it was a good idea to keep some sort of a record of it. You hadn’t had much use for the app and all the information it held.....until now. 

You nervously chewed at the edge of your thumbnail and re-loaded the app, hoping the big red number on the display would change if you refreshed it enough times. Unfortunately, the read-out stayed the exact same despite your best efforts. It was telling you that your period was now officially seven days late. One entire week. Your jaw tightened and your grip on the PADD intensified. 

You and your ex-boyfriend had parted ways one week before you first entered the Academy, about a month ago at this point. It was a fairly amicable break-up as far as break-ups went; you’d been seeing each other for about six months at the time, and although he’d been very nice, you didn’t really have enough in common. The connection between you was shallow at best and about as exciting as going to the dentist. 

You just didn’t get any butterflies when you were with him, not that butterflies were necessarily a requirement for a strong relationship. But, if you were being completely honest with yourself, part of you had always hoped for a relationship with some degree of passion and intensity. It didn’t have to be like those erotic novels where he possessively had his way with you every other night on the kitchen table, but you wanted to be at least moderately excited when you saw him in person, and you weren’t. 

You had sat him down and came clean with how you felt, not wanting to drag him into a long-distance situation when you were so lukewarm about him already. He understood, and confessed that he was feeling some of the same disconnect. 

You’d been sexually active with him a two days before the breakup in a last-ditch effort to re-kindle as much romance as you could, to see if there was anything worth saving. The sex was nothing to write home about though, and it was after that night you knew for sure that the relationship was over. He’d used a condom, and your app had told you that you weren’t ovulating that day, so you thought the pregnancy risk had been low. So low that you hadn’t even considered it a possibility. 

But now, it was all you could think about. You set the PADD down on your bed with trembling fingers, taking in some deep breaths in an effort to calm your racing pulse. You thanked the turns of fate that Leonard wasn’t in the dorm right now. Trying to keep a poker face up around him would be like trying to fly through an asteroid belt without any deflector shields. 

You smoothed out your uniform as you stood, pondering your next move. You could give it a couple more days before taking any drastic measures. There was a plethora of possible reasons why you hadn’t gotten your period yet....stress being the main one. After your talk with Leonard, you really had tried to dial back your studying and fit more down-time into your schedule. You _did_ feel more alert, and you’d been sleeping better too. But, maybe your body needed to decompress further and find it’s natural rhythm again. You should give it some more time. 

Or, you could race over to the pharmacy right now and buy a pregnancy test. 

You paced the room urgently, trying to decide what to do. Every worst-case scenario flew through your brain—ranging from you giving up your dreams of graduating Starfleet to how your ex would handle the news. You gulped and tried to look around for something to distract you. 

Thankfully, your eyes landed on a keycard sitting on the kitchen counter just in front of you. It was Leonard’s keycard---every medical student at the Academy was issued one so they could securely access the medical database that held volumes of confidential patient information. You were about to look away when you remembered he had a lab this morning in a little under an hour....and he would definitely need his keycard for that. 

You picked it up and ran your thumb across it’s plastic edge, wondering where he would be as your earlier worries obediently retreated to the back of your mind for the moment. He wouldn’t be on his way to the lab yet, it was too early. You faintly remembered him saying he was going to meet up with Kirk before heading out the door this morning. Or was it yesterday? 

You decided to gamble and pay a visit to Kirk’s dorm room just in case. You opened the door to your room with keycard in hand, locking it behind you as you made your way to the stairs at the end of the hall. You knew where Kirk’s dorm was; it was on the first floor, number 17. Pure happenstance had led you to acquiring that information and you smirked a bit as your mind replayed the memory. 

_Three days after you’d been introduced to Jim, Leonard had carelessly left a bunch of loose papers strewn across the dining table and you had been trying to shuffle them into a pile to make room for your small plate of dinner. A paper had fallen to the ground and you’d picked it up, scanning its contents as you did. There was a short list of numbers separated by dashes and you didn’t understand what they meant. As you had been trying to figure it out, Leonard had appeared from the bathroom just behind you._

_“_ _So_ _I guess privacy is_ _somethin_ _’ that doesn’t exist in this dorm?” He glared at you and you hastily set the paper on the table again._

_“Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just trying to tidy up these papers and I dropped your....list.”_

_He had snatched the paper back and looked at it, raising up an eyebrow in recognition. “Oh, this. It was just a few of the_ _dorm rooms Jim had to choose from at the_ _start_ _of the year. I was tryin’ to help him narrow it down.”_

_It was your turn to raise an eyebrow. “He got a choice? Why didn’t you?”_

_“Well, let’s just say he’s good friends with the_ _Dean at Starfleet Academy._ _The_ _Dean’s_ _entire family, in fact. He_ _schmoozed_ _his way into a pretty comfortable living situation_ _over here_ _.” Mccoy chuckled to himself_ _and his look softened_ _. He_ _set the paper down_ _again_ _. "That kid’ll make friends with just about everyone he meets.”_

_“Wow, that’s pretty lucky_ _that he got to choose his room!_ _Which_ _one did he decide on?”_

_“First floor of this building, actually. Room 17. It’s one of the larger dorms. He still has a roommate though, some guy in his fourth year. But the dorm has separate bedrooms, and the kitchen is almost full-sized.”_

_He’d taken a brief pause and cursed under his breath_ _at that._ _“Lucky son of a bitch.”_

You could still picture Mccoy’s bitter expression as you jogged down the last couple steps to the first floor, his keycard in hand. You looked down the end of the hall, finding that you were only a handful of doors away from Kirk’s room. 

You stood in front of the door labeled “17”, bringing your fist up to knock but hesitating for half a second as you turned the card over in your other hand. Was it weird that you were bringing this to him? You bit your lip and decided that no, it wasn’t at all weird. If you had left _your_ keycard behind and Leonard happened to notice, you would want him to bring it to you, wouldn’t you? 

Somewhat convinced with that line of reasoning, you rapped your knuckles against the door. 

Some shuffling sounded from the other side, and you heard the low tones of male voices as the door was pulled open. 

“Oh, look who it is. It’s Y/N!” Kirk smiled broadly in the doorway and you offered him a quick wave in greeting. He had on the black undershirt of his cadets uniform and uniform pants, slightly wrinkled from sitting. You wondered if he had any classes that day. 

“Hi, Jim. Sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering if you’d seen--” Your eyes drifted into the room over his shoulder, seeing Leonard lounging on the sofa in the middle of the living room, one leg balanced across his knee as he consulted the PADD on his lap. The sunlight from the window just beyond the room illuminated his silhouette to perfection, and it took a few seconds before your eyes obeyed you and looked back up at Jim. 

“Looking for your roommate?” His blue eyes danced as he leaned up against the doorframe, and you wondered just how close he thought you and Mccoy were to each other. 

“Uhm, yes, actually. He left his card.” You flashed him the keycard in your palm and he casually stepped away to allow you entry. You took in the room, much more spacious than the one you and Leonard shared. Off to the left was a fully-equipped kitchen with a full-sized fridge and generous amounts of counter space. There were two doors leading to bedrooms on either side of the living room, which was open-concept and housed a four-piece living room set with a wide bookshelf filled with books against one of the walls. Tall windows let the sun into the room, making the entire space feel airy and light. A twinge of jealousy jabbed at you for half a second, but you brushed it aside. 

Leonard glanced up from his spot on the couch, setting his PADD down on the coffee table when he saw you. “Y/N? What’re you doin’ here?” His eyes studied you with curiosity and you felt like he was putting you under a microscope. 

Jim stood next to you and laid a light hand on your shoulder. “She’s here to see me, Bones. We hang out all the time.” 

He threw a look at his friend. “Somehow, I doubt that.” 

You shook your head and smiled at them both. “As much as I wanted to come over to see you, Jim, I’m actually just here to give Mccoy his keycard.” You held it out to him and he stepped over to take it. 

“Oh, I didn’t even realize....I must’ve left it in the kitchen. Thanks.” He pocketed the card and sat back on the sofa without another look in your direction. 

“Yeah...no problem.” You expected him to be a bit more grateful, but one couldn’t be too picky when it came to your roommate's mannerisms. You turned back to Kirk. “Any exciting plans for the day?” 

His nose scrunched up as he grabbed a seat on the arm rest of the chair beside him. “Ah, not really. Bones has a lab soon and I’m stuck in simulations all day. Hey, I meant to ask you....” He licked his lip and leaned over a bit. “You know if Uhura’s seeing anyone?” 

You saw Leonard roll his eyes in your peripheral vision and you fought down a laugh in your throat. “Well....not that I know of. But, I don’t really think she’s interested in dating right now.” You were absolutely sure that Uhura wasn’t the least bit interested in Jim, but you didn’t want to come right out and say that. 

“Hm, that’s too bad.” He leaned back and his look was downcast. “Well, if she ever changes her mind, there’s a pub on campus that throws these big get-togethers at the end of every month. You guys should come check it out with us one night.” 

You balked inwardly, picturing the four of you awkwardly trying to make conversation with each other at a bar. Kirk would try to hit on Uhura and she would shoot him down repeatedly. Mccoy would probably throw back a few drinks, complain about the people and the music until you made up some flimsy excuse to leave. 

You were never really one to hang out at bars all that much, but you’d go with your friends every once in a while to let loose and have fun. You were unsure if you’d ever take Kirk up on his offer but you smiled anyway with a glance in Leonard’s direction. “Sure, that’d be fun. I don’t know when we’ll make it, but I’ll let her know.” 

Jim’s eyes lit up again and you noticed how his whole face transformed when he smiled. “Great!” 

Mccoy gave out a snort from the sofa, his eyes still on the PADD in his lap. “You don’t know what you just signed up for, Y/N.” 

“Oh, come on. I’m not that bad.” Kirk scoffed. 

“Right.” Mccoy re-positioned his PADD with a matter-of-fact look. “Jim’s the embodiment of a rule follower. A real straight-laced type. He doesn’t rustle any feathers.” 

“Well...I wouldn’t go _that_ far, Bones....” 

“I was bein’ sarcastic, you damn nitwit.” 

You grinned as they bantered back and forth, sensing that they could do this for hours on end if left to their own devices. The two had clearly known each other for some time, since they seemed so comfortable around each other. 

“I feel like there’s a story or two that I don’t know about here,” you mused out loud as you took a seat on a stool by the kitchen counter just off the main living space. 

Kirk grinned. “I wouldn’t call them _stories_ , per se...” 

Mccoy stuck his tongue in his cheek and looked at you. “I’d call rammin’ your fist into another guy’s skull a story. You know how many times I’ve had to sew this guy’s face back together? Too many to count.” 

Kirk shook his head as he laughed and crossed his arms. "Might as well put that medical knowledge to good use. Why else would you work so hard to be top of your class?” 

Your eyes widened as you looked back at your roommate. “You’re top of your class?” You tried to keep your mouth from dropping open. Being the top of any class in Starfleet Academy was an unattainable dream for almost every cadet who walked through the doors. 

He shifted, uncomfortable under the sudden scrutiny of your gaze. “Not in everything, no.” 

“Oh, come on, Bones, don’t lie to the woman.” Kirk turned to face you with knowing eyes, almost shining with pride for his friend. “He’s top of his class in anatomical and forensic pathology. Those are the hardest subjects to master in the medical field. It’s basically an entire index of all the lifeforms we’ve ever encountered in the universe to date along with all the diseases specific to their species. Guy’s a whiz at all that stuff.” 

You nodded your head in amazement. “That’s...incredible.” 

Leonard never took his eyes off his PADD, but you thought you saw a slight red hue in his cheeks that wasn’t there a moment ago. He cleared his throat. “That’s enough ramblin’, Jim. I’m sure she’s got other places to be.” 

You stood up again, the anxiety from earlier that morning starting to eat at you again. “Yeah, I really should be going.” 

Kirk stood up to walk you out as Leonard tipped his head at you, finally taking his eyes off the screen. “Thanks again for the card.” 

You smiled warmly. “No problem.” 

OOOOOOOOOOOO 

You tried to restrain yourself from breaking out into a full-on run as you jogged down the carpeted hallway toward your dorm room hours later. You shifted the plastic bag in your hand as you stopped to take a swig of water from your water bottle, thoughts racing around as you contemplated what you were getting ready to do. You already had to pee desperately, but you wanted to make sure there was enough for the multiple pregnancy tests currently stashed in your grocery bag. 

Taking off down the hall again, you finally made it to your door, not before almost colliding with another cadet who chose to exit his room at the exact same moment that you passed by. 

You punched in the combination on the keypad as fast as you could, uttering a silent prayer to the roommate Gods as you fiercely wished for an empty dorm. You’d forgotten to take a look at Leonard’s schedule for this afternoon, so you had absolutely no idea where he was right now and you were kicking yourself for it. 

Swinging the door open as soon as the lock disengaged, you dropped your water bottle on the ground and kicked off your shoes as you hopped in place, squeezing your legs together in an attempt to lessen the uncomfortable sensation of a full bladder. You took off your coat in record time and haphazardly hung it off the back of the door as you grabbed up the plastic bag and ran for the bathroom. 

To your dismay, the door was already closed, and you heard the sounds of shower water running clearly from the other side. Leonard was in there. _Damn it!_

You slapped the door with your open hand in frustration, hopping in place as you tried to think up a solution. You were coming up blank until it suddenly dawned on you that there was a single communal bathroom in the lobby of this building, and you dashed back to the front door, stuffing your feet into your shoes again as you flung yourself out into the hallway. 

One short elevator ride later, and you were standing in the lobby which, thankfully, was completely empty. You were quite a sight right now; face drawn in urgency as you hopped in place, the intense desire to urinate dominating your thoughts as you raced towards the bathroom door across from the elevator. You held back a yelp of defeat as you clearly read the “Out of Order” sign scribbled on a scrap of paper taped to the door. _What now?_

You shifted from one foot to the other, eyes darting around as you tried to steady your breathing. Your mind was anything but clear as your thoughts ricocheted from the urgency for a bathroom to the rising panic in your chest over the possibility that one of those tests in your bag could turn out positive. 

Clenching the bag tight in your fist, you turned back around and jumped into the elevator once again. You hurriedly punched the button for the first floor, on your way to the only other possible place your mind could think of. 

You stood in front of his door a couple seconds later and knocked rapidly, trying to smooth your features back into a look of normalcy while hoping that he wouldn’t find your request too odd. Or that you wouldn’t pee right there in the hallway. 

The door opened and Jim Kirk looked back at you with a look of surprise. “Oh, Y/N. Long time no see!” 

You pulled your lips into a thin smile at his joke. “Yeah, sorry. I know this is a little...weird, but....Mccoy is using our bathroom, and the lobby one is broken, and I really just....can I use your bathroom?” You restrained yourself from hopping in place as your bladder practically cried out at you for attention. 

“Oh, yeah. That’s fine, it’s just down the hall there to the right.” He stepped away and you bolted inside, throwing a quick “thanks” over your shoulder as you ran to the bathroom. 

You shut the door behind you as you tried to keep your brain focused on the task at hand. You dumped the contents of the grocery bag onto the tiled floor, sifting through the three boxes of tests you’d bought. All were accurate to within a day or two, but they had different methods of showing their results. You picked up the first one and ripped it open, skimming the instructions briefly on the back of the box as you laid the test on the counter beside the sink. You did the same with the other two as you practically jumped in place now, breathing in and out as if you were about to go into labour. 

Finally, you sat down on the toilet, and the relief you felt was instantaneous. You relished in it so much, you almost forgot about the lineup of tests on the counter beside you, and you quickly leaned over to grab the first one, sticking it carefully into the stream of urine. You did the same with the other two, setting them all on the counter with the caps on, obscuring your view of the digital panels that showed the results of each test. 

As you sat there, relishing in the feeling of being in control of your mental faculties again, your eyes kept flicking over to the tests, your nerves alight with anxiety. 

Suddenly, you became keenly aware of where you were at this moment. You were in the bathroom of a friend who you’d just met a few weeks ago, and were about to find out if the entire course of your life was going to change. There was no way you’d be able to keep yourself together here if the tests were positive. You decided to wait until you got back to your own dorm to read them. 

You flushed and cleaned up your mess of boxes, placing the bits of cardboard back in the plastic bag. Carefully wrapping the tests in toilet paper, you stuck them in the pockets of your uniform. After you washed your hands and fixed your hair a bit, you grabbed the bag and ventured back out into the hall. 

Kirk was facing away from you on the sofa with his arms resting on top of the backrest to either side. The holo-TV was projecting on the wall across from him, and he was absorbed in the documentary that was playing. 

You cleared your throat, standing beside the sofa uncertainly. “Thanks for that. I’m sorry for barging in like this.” 

He tilted his head back and smiled. “Not a problem. You only have one bathroom for the two of you. Things happen.” 

You were about to thank him again and say goodbye when your eyes caught on a framed photo sitting on the coffee table. It was of a little boy with dark hair and chubby cheeks like a cherub, with a gap-toothed grin across his face. He was utterly adorable. 

“Who’s this little guy?” you asked as you carefully picked up the photograph to get a better look. 

“Oh, that’s Jaime. He’s the Dean’s son. Mr. Morgan is his dad.” You recognized the name Morgan as you’d seen it on the faculty list found in your Starfleet Academy welcome package. The Morgan family had been involved in the Academy ever since its inaugural year. They were responsible in many ways for making the Academy into the prestigious learning facility it was today. 

You itched to get home and check the various tests hidden in your pockets, but you continued to stare at the child’s face a moment longer, sensing something else stir in the back of your mind. “Is this the boy with leukemia?” 

Kirk’s smile faded and he sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees grimly. “Yep, that’s him. He’s got a rare form of it. The most common leukemia can be treated rather successfully with modern medicine as you know, but not this type unfortunately.” 

You frowned as your heart went out to the little boy in the picture. “Oh, how sad.” You set it gently back in place on the coffee table where you’d first found it. “How do you know him?” 

“The Morgan’s are old family friends. They knew my dad pretty well, I guess.” He leaned back and put his hands behind his head as another thought entered your mind. You remembered Uhura mentioning something about how Kirk’s father had passed away shortly after his birth, but you didn’t know any further details. 

Kirk continued. “I offered to tutor Jaime in things related to space exploration, how to survive on a starship and all that. He’s so fascinated by space.” A grin took over his face again. “His wish is to take a ride on a Federation starship....it’s all he ever talks about. So, I’m trying to graduate a bit early. If I can, maybe he’ll still be around and I can take ‘em up there before...” There was a catch in his throat and his expression clouded once again. 

You nodded in appreciation for what he was trying to do for the little boy. When you first met Kirk, you could see he was extremely personable and easy to get along with, but you never would have guessed that he had such a compassionate streak in him. To push yourself that hard in order to graduate before everyone else in your year was....extraordinary. You wondered if Mccoy knew about this, and made a mental note to ask him later. 

“That’s amazing.” you uttered. “Jaime’s lucky to have such a dedicated friend on his side.” You offered him a re-assuring upturn of your lips and he nodded his head. 

“Yeah, it’s the least I could do. No one should have their dreams cut short, least of all little kids.” He rubbed his hands across his neck, his blue eyes looking a bit glassy as he changed the subject. “So, uh....how’s everything going with you and Bones? With the whole living situation? You guys getting along?” 

You moved your head from side to side as you considered his question. “It’s...definitely better than the first week of classes. I think we’re finally starting to get used to each other.” 

“Yeah, he can be a real piece of work.” Kirk chuckled. “But don’t let his grumpy exterior put you off. He’s got a heart of gold under there. That’s why I keep him around.” 

“I figured there had to be a reason.” You smirked and looked up at the time, seeing that almost half an hour had passed since you’d been at your dorm. You hoped Leonard had left by now. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Thanks for letting me use your bathroom.” 

Kirk threw you a wink. “Anytime.” 

Five minutes later, and you had made it back to your room. Leonard was nowhere to be found, and you locked yourself in the bathroom as soon as you got in the door. You steadied your breathing as you unwrapped the tests from the toilet paper and laid them out neatly beside the sink. 

Staring at them intently, you decided it was best to just jump in and get it over with. You sucked in a breath and uncapped the first test. It’s digital read-out clearly stated in block letters “NEGATIVE”. 

Your breath whooshed out of your chest against your control and your hip sagged into the counter in relief. One down, two to go. 

You un-capped the second test. This one would show a bright pink line if you were pregnant. You held it up and stared at the result window, seeing that it was completely blank. No traces of pink anywhere on it’s white surface. You let another breath escape as you ran a hand down the side of your face. Only one more to go. 

You un-capped the third and final test, which would show a negative or positive sign depending on the result. As soon as you un-capped it, the thick blue negative sign greeted your eyes and you lolled your head back as you let out a huge sigh of relief. Now you knew for sure. 

Your entire body was shaking from the emotional roller coaster you had just been through as you swept the tests in the garbage beside the counter all in one motion. You looked at yourself in the mirror and splashed some water across your face, feeling the tension in your body slowly melt away. 

OOOOOOOOOO 

Leonard lightly grasped the edge of the bathroom sink with one hand, brushing his teeth vigorously as he thought back on the hospital shift he’d just returned home from. It was the usual batch of sprained ankles and deep cuts that were cured with a couple rounds of the re-gen unit, but the rest of the shift had been pretty tame compared to what he was used to dealing with. 

He usually ached for a challenge, but tonight he’d been perfectly content to tend to the mundane injuries, taking his time and pouring over his notes in the break room when the department activity had lulled for a few hours. His mind had been somewhat pre-occupied as of late, and even he could admit that it was nice to have a little break. 

He spit in the sink and rinsed out his mouth with a gulp of mouthwash, trying to decide which part of Vulcan anatomy he’d try to cover before he called it a night and climbed into bed. The Academy’s knowledge of Vulcan physiology in general was patchy at best, and certain anatomical systems were not fully understood by the Federation at all, nor were they ever expected to be. The Vulcan people were a highly secretive race, something Mccoy found rather irritating at the moment. He was trying to help them, dammit! 

He shook his head and went to reach for a hand towel, accidentally knocking the tube of toothpaste he’d placed beside the sink into the trash below. 

“Ah, shit.” He grumbled under his breath as he leaned over to fish it out with his fingers. He carefully nudged away a few pieces of Kleenex as he dug his hand in, and his fingers closed around a heavier object near the bottom. He pulled it out, although as he was doing it, he realized it definitely wasn’t the tube of toothpaste. He squinted as he inspected the object under the dim light of the bathroom, and his eyes suddenly widened with recognition. 

“What?” he breathed, inspecting the pregnancy test in his hand. He turned it over, seeing that the result was obscured by the plastic cap on the end. This clearly belonged to his roommate. 

He swallowed hard as he tried to make a decision. Finally, he popped off the cover, and the word “NEGATIVE” in capital letters stared up at him. He tossed it back in the trash as soon as he’d read it and stood up, forgetting all about the toothpaste. 

_A/N: As always, let me know what you think! Thank you so much for the feedback._ _😊_ _Hope everyone has a good week. And if you don’t just think....at least my roommate didn’t find my pregnancy test in the trash.....xoxox_


	6. Chapter 6

**Room with a View**

Chapter 6 

_A/N: Hello! Hope everyone is doing good out there. Sorry this latest update took a bit longer to post...I was originally going to have just one chapter but it somehow morphed into two. I’ll be posting the next chapter in a few days! Enjoy._

It was Saturday morning, and you woke up with an unexpected boost of energy. Ever since discovering you weren’t pregnant the day before, your mood had been sky high—it seemed like the universe had gifted you with some sort of second chance at life. You knew it was a silly way to feel…you weren’t entirely opposed to having children in the future (the _far_ future) if you eventually settled down with someone you loved. That would all come with time, and you definitely were in no hurry to rush it. 

You smiled up at the ceiling as you laid in bed for a moment or two, soaking in the relief. Now that your fears of abruptly giving up the Academy to raise an unplanned child with an ex-boyfriend you were no longer speaking to were completely washed away, you couldn’t restrain the sheer delight inside you that refused to die out. 

You threw the covers back and sprung out of bed, eager to start the day. Turning your head to the side, you noticed that Leonard was still fast asleep in his bed across from you with the covers pulled around his body snugly. He looked to be in a deep sleep for once, finally getting some much-needed rest; you couldn’t think of the last time he’d slept in this late. You were careful not to wake him as you raised the shades of the lone window in the room, looking out over the view of the main quad. The sky was a dull grey and heavy with clouds, but this did nothing to sully your good mood. You grabbed your robe from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around yourself, stepping to the kitchen as inspiration struck. 

Quietly, you set to work rounding up the ingredients you’d need for a meal of old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d had a home-cooked breakfast that wasn’t produced in a food replicator or purchased here on campus. Your stomach growled in agreement as you whisked everything together in a mixing bowl, careful not to get any on the long sleeves of your robe. You took a ladle to the batter a few minutes later, pouring a perfect circle into a pre-heated pan. 

You heard Leonard stir in the bed behind you as his feet hit the floor and he headed towards the bathroom, re-emerging soon after in his street clothes. 

“Mornin’,” he greeted you in a voice still thick with sleep as you flipped the first pancake off the pan and onto a waiting plate beside the stove. 

You turned your head in acknowledgement as he took a seat at the table. “Good morning. Sorry, did I wake you?” 

He shook his head slowly and raked a hand through his dark hair, blinking the sleep from his eyes. “Naw, you didn’t. I overslept actually. Shoulda been up hours ago.” He still had bags under his eyes, too deep for one good night’s sleep to fully erase. 

You poured some more batter into the pan and adjusted the heat. “Do you have a shift at the hospital today?” 

“No, got nothin’ on my schedule for once. Just some readin’ I need to catch up on.” You had come to notice over the past month or so that the Southern lilt to his voice was even more prominent when he’d just woken up or was extremely tired. 

Leonard rubbed his neck with his hand as he let out a yawn, trying to ease out the kinks that remained from sleep. He was clearly having trouble waking up. 

You chuckled as you watched over the stovetop. “Maybe you need to take some of your own advice? Don’t burn yourself out....everyone needs to take a break now and then.” You glanced over at him. “Even you.” 

If there was one thing you had learned from living with Leonard, it was that he was a full-blown workaholic who ran himself into the ground, burning the candle at both ends and barely giving himself time to relax before hitting the books again. 

He hitched his eyebrow up at that. “I’ll be just fine, don’t you worry about it,” he grumbled. 

Looking past you now, his eyes landed on the growing stack of pancakes at your elbow. “What’s gotten into you, anyway? Can’t remember the last time I made an actual home-cooked breakfast for myself.” 

You smiled and took the plate of pancakes in hand, placing them in the middle of the dining table. “They aren’t all for me, you can have some too.” 

He perked up ever so slightly. “You sure?” 

You nodded and he got up, moving toward the kitchen cabinets beside the stove. “I’ll set the table, then.” He gathered a handful of cups and plates, setting them out on the tabletop as you finished making the last pancake and started up a fresh pot of coffee. There was silence between you two, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. 

“You didn’t answer my question,” he added after he’d set out the forks. 

“What question?” you asked, feigning ignorance. 

“You look like you’re on cloud nine over there. Any particular reason?” 

You focused your gaze on the stove and twirled the pancake flipper in your hand, trying to come up with something plausible. “Uhm, well. Nothing’s happened, really. I just got some good news about a test, that’s all.” You stuck your tongue in your cheek with your back to him as you flipped the pancake you were cooking. Your “lie” was cutting it pretty close to what had actually happened. 

“A.... _school_ test,” you added quickly. “I thought I failed it but it turns out I passed!” 

Leonard suddenly fumbled with the bottle of syrup in his hand as you said this, and it fell to the table on its side. “Damn thing,” he cursed at it. 

You brought the last pancake over to the table, noticing the small spot of syrup that Leonard was trying to wipe up with a dish towel. “Need some help with that?” you asked. “Maybe you should wet the cloth, first.” 

“No, no. It’s fine, I got it.” He wiped it away after a bit more effort and you both sat across the table from each other. Leonard settled in his chair and went to reach for his fork but accidentally bumped it off the table’s edge with his pinkie finger, sending it clattering to the floor. 

“You okay?”you asked as he grumbled under his breath and ducked down to retrieve it. “You seem tense.” 

“Not at all. I’m _fine_.” He straightened back up and placed the fork beside his plate with a stony expression. His lackluster reassurance didn’t fully convince you, but you didn’t want to ruin the breakfast by prying. 

“Good, then.” You let it go as you both began forking pancakes onto your plates, the heady aroma of breakfast and coffee filling the room. 

You felt more at ease than you had in weeks as you sat back in your chair and enjoyed the first bites of fluffy pancake. You were trying to think of what you would spend the rest of your day doing when Leonard broke the silence. 

“This is real good.” he said as he swallowed his bite. “It reminds me of my momma’s silver dollar pancakes. She’d try to make ‘em every couple weeks or so for us kids.” He took in another bite and you smiled under his praise. To even be in the same realm as a mother’s good-old, down-home Southern cooking was a huge compliment. 

“Well, thanks. It’s my dad’s recipe, actually. He’s the cook of the family. My brother and I lived on this recipe exclusively when we moved out on our own. The ingredients are cheap and it makes quite a few. I think my brother’s wife still makes it for him sometimes.” 

“Oh, his wife. So, he’s married then. Do they have any kids?” He took a sip of coffee. 

“No, no kids yet. But I’m pretty sure they’re trying.” 

He looked down at his plate then and took another large bite of pancake, and you assumed the conversation was over for the moment. But a handful of seconds later, his eyes darted up to you again and he cleared his throat. 

“So, your brother’s married. Are you....do you have...anyone in your life?” 

You were in the middle of buttering your second pancake, and you paused the knife in mid-air. “Pardon?” 

He glanced back down at his plate, and you could sense his growing uneasiness as he shifted in his chair slightly. “Is there anyone that you’re.... serious about? Anyone that you’re datin’?” He took a bite off his fork. 

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why was he asking you this all of a sudden? “Uh....no?” 

“Are you sure?” He eyed you again intently and you thought you saw confusion in his stare. 

“ _Yes,_ I’m quite sure _._ I think I would know if I was involved with anybody.” Your tone was a bit clipped and you set down the butter knife. Not only was he asking something so personal and so out of the blue, he wasn’t letting it drop. You tried to rack your brain for a reason why he’d suddenly become so interested in your love life, but came up empty handed. 

“Alright.” He sat back in his chair and dug into his breakfast once again as you did the same, but you could still sense his eyes on you and it made you apprehensive. 

You tried to ignore him and continue eating, but you finally had enough of it. You dropped your fork down onto your plate in aggravation. “ _What?_ ” 

“Nothin’!” He held up his fingers in appeasement. “Nothin’ at all. Something just tells me that you’re lyin’, that’s all. I was just curious...” 

You dropped your mouth open at that. “Are you calling me a _liar?_ ” 

His cheeks were a bit flushed and he looked away from you in embarrassment. “No, it’s just....if there _was_ someone you were seein’ and things were gettin’ complicated and you needed to ask for--” 

You leaned in closer to the table, feeling like you were under attack. “Why are you so sure I’m dating somebody? I just straight up told you I wasn’t. I’m confused!” 

“Well, how do you think I feel? I’m confused as all hell!” He stood up abruptly then, and the sudden motion jostled the cutlery on the table as your eyes widened in surprise. 

“I -I gotta go, anyway. To the library. I’ll be back in a couple hours.” You barely registered his words as you watched him throw back the rest of his coffee and high-tail it out the door, grabbing his bag and bumping into the doorframe in his haste. Your mouth still hung open as the door swung closed, completely flabbergasted at the sudden turn of events. 

You finished your breakfast and did all the dishes on auto-pilot, still trying to piece together what had gotten into him. He’d acted so awkwardly at the beginning of breakfast, and then when you’d given him answers to his probing questions, he hadn’t been satisfied with them in the least. Something else must have been going on to make him act that way. But you had absolutely no idea what it was. 

You padded over to the bathroom and set to brushing your teeth, hoping it would calm you down. You took up your toothbrush with one hand and the other hand reflexively reached out for the toothpaste, but was met only with empty air. _What the he_ _ck?_

You stood back and eyed up the bathroom counter, but there wasn’t a toothpaste tube in sight. _That’s weird. Are we all out already?_ _I swear I just opened a new tube...._

You searched high and low, but had no luck. It was when you were crouched near the floor searching the area between the trash can and the toilet that your eye caught on something perched on the very top of the garbage. It was one of your pregnancy tests from yesterday. 

You looked at it full-on, feeling your heart clench in your chest for a second. The cap was off, and you swore you had put the caps back on all of them before throwing them out. You were also pretty confident that you had dropped a couple tissues over top of them when you’d used the bathroom again later that night. 

Suddenly, the test and Leonard’s awkwardness fit together like two puzzle pieces and you audibly gasped. _Did he...he found the test? And he read it?_ _!_

“That’s why he didn’t believe me,” you voiced to the empty bathroom. You stayed in your crouched position and ran your hands over your face as a wave of embarrassment engulfed you. You had to address this with him as soon as possible…there was no way you could just let it go. 

When Leonard finally returned back to the dorm, it was late afternoon and you were sitting cross-legged at the table with your PADD open to your upcoming lecture schedule for the week. You and Uhura had successfully survived phase one of Engineering, and were now moving onto the Sciences. Star charts and chemical composition maps littered your bedspread, and you had a nagging suspicion that would continue to be the case for the next two months. 

You looked up as he entered, a weird mixture of anger and embarrassment mingling in your stomach. You wished this entire situation had never happened. Things had been going so smoothly between you two...but now a stupid pee stick had come along and ruined it all. You could have dealt with the fact of him somehow finding the test well enough...but did he have to go and _read it_? 

“Hey,” you offered tersely as he set his bag on the kitchen counter. You saw him pause as his back was turned, trying to decide how to respond. 

“Look...” he started hesitantly, finally facing you as he took a step toward the table. “I’m...I didn’t mean to run out like that. You’re probably wonderin’ what got into me.” He laid his hands on the back of the chair just in front of him. 

You frowned as you flicked your finger across the PADD screen, scrolling ahead in your schedule. “Not really. I know exactly why you ran. You found my test in the trash.” Your gaze was pointed as you met his eyes. “I guess privacy is something that doesn’t exist in this dorm, huh?” 

He gave a drawn out exhale. “It wasn’t like I went lookin’ for it or anything. I dropped the damn toothpaste in the there last night and when I went to fish it out, ….that’s what I found.” 

You pursed your lips. That explained him finding the test at least. But, his admission didn’t make you feel any better. 

“Okay, fair enough. But did you have to _read_ it? The cap was off, and I know I put it on before throwing it away.” 

He swallowed and his eyes leapt off your face, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. 

“I know, I know. I don’t really have a good explanation. Curiosity killed the cat, I guess.” He pulled back the chair and sat down across from you. “But, listen. I didn’t mean to violate your privacy. You don’t have to say another word about it. We’ll just forget this ever happened.” 

You rolled your eyes and powered off the PADD. “Easy for you to say. Now all you’ll think about when you see me is how I almost knocked myself up when I don’t even have a boyfriend.” 

He leaned in and folded his hands, drawing his brows up in a look of concern. “No, I won’t. I promise you, Y/N. This is strictly under roommate confidentiality. Nothing that you reveal to me or anything that I.... _accidentally_ come across in the course of our living together will leave these four walls.” His tone matched the meaningful look he was giving you, and you were inclined to believe him. 

You let out a sigh as you slumped against the backrest. “Well....as long as it’s confidential. I guess I can accept that certain secrets might be stumbled upon while we live together. It’s practically unavoidable.” You thought back to your first day on campus and how you had to restrain yourself from snooping though his duffel bag. You couldn’t play entirely innocent here, either. 

You shifted in your chair. “I’m still mad at you, though.” You were, but even as you said the words, you could feel the anger simmering down into nothing more than mild irritation. 

“And you have every right to be.” He gave a hint of a smile and you sensed the tension in the room lessen immediately. “And I promise, from now on...if I lose the toothpaste in the trash...I’ll just let it be.” 

“Probably a safe bet.” You quirked up the side of your mouth as he got up and went to the kitchen, grabbing the empty coffee pot to make himself some more coffee. You sat mulling over your thoughts for a few seconds before opening your mouth again. 

“I _did_ have a pretty serious boyfriend before starting at the Academy. We decided to break things off, though.” You didn’t fully understand why you were divulging this information, but part of you wanted him to know the full story. You didn’t want him thinking that taking pregnancy tests was a regular thing for you by any means. 

Leonard tilted his head in acknowledgement as he scooped up the coffee grounds. “What happened? He just wasn’t the one?” 

“I guess not. He was nice enough and we got along really well but...I don’t know. There just wasn’t any... _spark_.” You felt a tinge of embarrassment at mentioning this, wishing you would have chosen a different word. It was the kind of thing you would normally admit to a female friend, not a man. Women usually understood what a “spark” in a relationship meant, but you weren’t sure if men knew what it consisted of, exactly. It had many different levels—emotional connection and compatibility. But a large part of it was physical attraction and chemistry. 

“You can’t force those things, you really can’t.” He had set the coffee pot down and was lifting out a mug from the cupboard, seemingly unfazed by your topic of discussion. “It was probably a good thing you called it quits before startin’ here. One less thing weighing on your mind.” 

You smiled and nodded in agreement. “Yes, exactly! That’s what I thought.” You pulled your knees up to your chest as you settled back into the chair, balancing your feet on the edge of the seat. You tilted your head as you suddenly thought of a question. 

“Do you have…a-are _you_ seeing anyone?” The question had seemed innocent enough in your mind, but you stuttered through it aloud as you picked at the hem of your sweatpants. 

Leonard was quiet for a moment as he ran his hands under running water at the kitchen sink, and your heart lurched in panic at the thought that you’d stepped too far. But he soon turned back to you, wiping his hands dry on a dishtowel. 

“No. I was married once, actually. Seems like forever ago.” He shook his head and his eyes focused on a spot on the floor as he continued wiping his hands, lost in memories for a moment. “She and I went together like peanut butter and jam at the beginning. But we lost it somewhere along the way. Then she decided to take me for every penny I had.” He set the dishtowel back on the counter as your eyes widened. You didn’t expect to hear that he’d been married before. Or divorced. 

“Oh, wow. I had no idea,” you said slowly. 

“Yeah. I try not to get too bitter about it. The divorce was hell and basically soured me on the whole “marriage” idea.” He grabbed up the pot of coffee and poured himself a cup. Lines of tension had crept up into his face, and you could tell he was suppressing a lot more than annoyance. “But, you live and learn. Nothin’ I can do about it now.” 

You tipped your head and your heart went out to him. He’d clearly been through the wringer with his ex-wife. You couldn’t imagine the emotion toll of ending a marriage with someone—someone you thought you’d spent the rest of your life with. “That must have been really rough. I’m sorry you had to go through that.” 

His eyes found yours then, and your breath hitched. You could have sworn they were hazel before, but under this light they took on a deeper, darker quality that served to amplify his stare even more. He gave you a nod and turned his attention back to his coffee, bringing it to his lips and giving it a sip. 

You decided to change the subject, not wanting things to get too heavy. “I forgot to ask you. I was talking to Kirk the other day, and he said he’s tutoring Mr. Morgan’s son, Jaime. The little guy with leukemia. Did you know about that?” 

You thought you were steering the conversation in a safe direction but Leonard’s expression clouded even more. “Yeah, I know. It’s a terrible deal, that poor kid. He has good days and bad, but he’s been doing pretty good lately from what Jim tells me. I visit Jaime with him from time to time, just to see how things are.” 

“Do you know the family?” 

“I met them a few times when Jim started goin’ over there. They’re old family friends of his. He was even gonna see about getting me a better dorm room situation when he’d found out I’d been relocated, but I told him not to bother. They’ve got enough on their plate to worry about as it is.” 

You nodded solemnly. “Yeah, that’s pretty terrible. I hope little Jaime pulls through. Is there anything that can be done medically to help his condition?” 

He shook his head and took another sip of coffee. “There’s some palliative treatments, but nothing effective enough to improve his prognosis. There’s research being done, but it’s been ongoing for years, and still they have nothing.....” His grip on the mug tightened and you sensed the similar tension in his stance that had been there when he spoke of his wife before. 

“So, you’re done with Engineering now, huh?” He spoke up a second later, glancing over at the numerous star charts strewn on your bed and you chuckled. 

“Is it that obvious?” You stood up and headed over to them, picking up a couple charts in a half-hearted effort to tidy some of it. “I’m looking forward to this next section. Science is pretty interesting, but I don’t really have anyone to help me this time. It was nice having my brother to bounce questions off of on video chat if I got stuck on an Engineering problem. I’ll miss that.” 

Leonard looked as if he were about to say something, but changed his mind and lifted his coffee mug to his lips again instead. 

You continued with your tidying for a while longer and you both eventually drifted to opposite ends of the dorm, settling into comfortable studying positions and staying there for the majority of the evening. 

As you climbed into bed later that night, you noticed Leonard still lying awake in the darkness, flat on his back as he stared up at the ceiling. He looked deep in thought as he had his hands folded and resting on his abdomen, faintly rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing. You’d seen him like this before and it usually meant, for whatever reason, that he wouldn’t be getting much sleep. 

You chewed on your lower lip as you settled the covers around you, laying on your side facing towards the room as you adjusted the pillow behind your head. 

“Goodnight.” You two didn’t normally exchange goodnights with each other. But it seemed like the right time to say it now. 

“ ’Night.” His reply was short, but his voice was soft and you closed your eyes. 

_A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews/kudos and for everyone who’s following along with the story! Like I said before, I’ll be posting the next chapter very soon. Sneak peek—everyone goes out to the bar! xoxoxo_


	7. Chapter 7

**Room with a View**

Chapter 7 

_A/N: This is a fun one! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Hope you like it too! As always, thank you for your kudos and comments. I love them all._

_Warning_ _:_ _un-wanted advance of a sexual nature (mild)_

The on-campus bar was situated near the north end of the grounds, sharing a building with Starfleet Academy’s campus restaurant and state-of-the-art rec center. You had passed by it countless times before during the day, but never actually ventured inside. Until now. 

The place was packed wall-to-wall with cadets out of uniform as you and Uhura slowly picked your way through the crowd towards the far side of the room. There was a lounge area off the main doors that could seat about fifty people, a smattering of pool tables currently in use and a large dance floor just beyond which was gradually sunken into the floor near the middle of it all. 

The bar itself was aptly named “Subspace.” It was a fairly popular spot during the weekends but even more so at the end of each month, when the establishment would put on several promotions and contests for free merchandise. You could see a cornered off area near the back where the bar was currently holding an impromptu karaoke competition and you gave an inward sigh of relief when Uhura’s path continued to lead you away from that section. 

Near the center of the room, a steady beat pulsed its rhythm so loud you could feel it in your bones as groups of sweaty patrons moved in synch with each other on the dance floor. Bright lights methodically flashed up and down in alternating patterns of blue and green, and you were glad you wore a dress that served to cool off your legs as you already sensed a bead of sweat snake its way down your back. 

You could smell the alcohol right away and were aware of the stuffy air around you as you continued to follow Uhura’s slender form closer to the edge of the bar where Kirk and Mccoy had already set up camp. You still were in shock that Uhura had actually accepted Kirk’s invitation to a bar night. He’d extended the offer when you stopped by his dorm to give Mccoy his keycard a while back, and you’d been contemplating telling Uhura about it for days afterwards. 

You finally mentioned it to her this past week. She’d relented at first, but eventually decided it would be fun to get out and explore the campus for once and meet some new people, even if it meant she’d have to dodge the occasional advance from Jim in the process. 

Her acceptance had almost made you wish you hadn’t told her about the invitation in the first place. Now here you were, going to the bar in some sort of odd double-date situation. You doubted that Uhura would ditch you for Kirk, but did you really know that for sure? What if they magically started hitting it off? Then you would be stuck alone with your roommate for the night, awkwardly trying to make small talk. Things between you and Leonard had smoothed over for the most part since the “pee stick incident” (as you continually referred to it in your head), but you didn’t want to chance making things any more uncomfortable then they had to be. 

You tried to push your worries out of your mind as best you could while you were getting ready for the evening. You knew you had a tendency to over-analyze, and get worked up about things that really weren’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of it all. 

You continued picking your way through the crowd of sweaty bodies as you re-adjusted one of your earrings. You had actually taken your time with your appearance that night, something you hadn’t given much thought to during regular Academy hours. You usually kept your look fairly simple to cut down on time needed to get ready in the morning, but tonight you’d spent at least an hour on your hair and makeup. You’d even went out and bought a new dress the day before and you were pleased with how the look had come together. 

You idly appraised Uhura’s outfit ahead of you as you followed behind her—she wore a skintight black dress with heels and long, red-feathered earrings. You noticed in the course of knowing her that she had quite the earring collection—a pair for seemingly every occasion. 

You both halted when you finally came up beside Kirk and Mccoy; they were engrossed in conversation with drinks already in hand. Jim was casually dressed in dark jeans and a black crew-neck that brought out his blue eyes even more than normal as he supported himself up against the bar with an elbow. Leonard stood beside him, his hand resting in the pocket of his brown leather jacket overtop a dark blue button-down, the top four buttons undone. You couldn’t quite explain the quickening of your pulse as you took in the sight of him, his dark hair styled in a way that made him look a bit more rugged than usual. 

They both looked up as you two said some quick hello’s, and you were struck with the sudden urge for a drink. Uhura’s long ponytail softly flicked against your arm as she leaned across the bar to try and snag the bartender’s attention. Your gaze locked with Leonard’s unexpectedly and you noticed his eyes flit over you for a second. You swallowed. 

“Whadda you want to drink?” Uhura asked from your elbow and you swallowed again, unable to form words at the moment. 

“Uh..I’ll just get us a couple of beers,” she decided for you both as she turned back to the bartender and held up two fingers. You nodded as an afterthought and stepped in closer to Leonard and Kirk so you could carry on a conversation over the noise. 

“Glad you two could make it,” Jim said, angling in closer so he could be heard. “This place is nuts tonight.” 

You shot him a grin, able to form words again. “I know! It’s packed.” 

Uhura turned and handed you a beer and you accepted gratefully, happy that you had something to occupy your hands with. You didn’t know why, but seemingly out of nowhere you felt anxious and somewhat awkward, unsure of what exactly to do with your limbs. 

Leonard leaned in closer from your right, and you caught the scent of his cologne. “You girls obviously don’t know a good drink when you see it.” He lifted up his glass of Irish whiskey and you rolled your eyes at him. 

Kirk laughed, placing his empty glass on the bar. “I think they all achieve the desired effect, Bones.” 

“Doesn’t mean you can’t stop and enjoy the view on your way there,” Leonard took a swig of his drink and held up the amber liquid to inspect in appreciation. “A drink that’s smooth and packs a punch, that’s what you need.” 

Kirk hailed the bartender for another as you shifted around to take in the dance floor a few feet away. It was jam-packed with bodies and the music was continuously blaring. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. You tried to recall the last time you’d actually danced at a bar. You couldn’t come up with anything in recent memory and turned away, nervously thumbing the beer bottle you held. 

“You two look great tonight,” Kirk inserted smoothly as he took up his drink, shooting a glance at Uhura. She tossed her hair off her shoulder and you gave him a sarcastic smirk. “It’s just because we’re out of uniform,” you teased him. 

“If that was true, I’d be all over every cadet in the place.” He flashed one of his irresistible smiles and Uhura finally cracked a grin. 

Seeing his opportunity, Kirk continued, raising his voice over the din of the bar. "So, how’s Academy life treating you guys so far?” 

His question was for both of you, but his eyes centered on Uhura. She answered him and you stole a sideways glance at your roommate beside you, feeling your nerves climb ever higher. 

You took a hurried sip of your beer in an attempt to find your equilibrium as you observed Uhura and Kirk engaged in conversation—his stance was open and relaxed, his expression easygoing as a grin continued to play around his lips. Uhura held her arms crossed tightly, but her head was tilted in interest and her eyes were completely focused on him. _It really could go either way with those two._

Your eyes darted over to Leonard again, seeing him leaning in close beside you as he tried to catch their words. _Is_ _he the reason I’m so nervous? That doesn’t make any sense at all. He’s_ _only_ _my roommate...pretty sure that’s not it._ You took another swig of beer. 

You started noticing the effects of the drink as your body began to tingle subtly from head to toe. Kirk saw you finish off your beer out of the corner of his eye and ordered another, and you finished that one within minutes. You usually didn’t drink this much so fast, but you had to do something to calm your nerves. You sensed the bulk of your anxiety begin to dull as you loosened up a bit, even joining in to the conversation Kirk and Uhura were having. Leonard stayed quiet for the most part, nursing his drink and taking in the room idly beside you. 

After a while, you took your third beer in hand and looked over at him again, softly nudging his arm with your elbow. “You’re not the bar type, are you?” you murmured as you faced him. 

He cocked an eyebrow. “It’s alright. Not really somethin’ I’d go seeking out myself, but it’s a change of pace.” 

You smiled and took a sip of your beer. “Considering all that liquor of yours in the storage cabinets at home, I would have figured this would be one of your favorite places on campus.” 

“Not exactly. I’m into the more old-style pubs.” He took a drink and inclined his head towards his friend, still busy chatting up Uhura. “Jim likes bein’ here though so I join him from time to time. Someone’s gotta make sure he doesn’t get himself into too much trouble.” 

You grinned knowingly as Jim drummed on the bar with both hands. “Ok, time to do this right. Hey, shots!” He roused the bartender's attention and eight shots of tequila soon appeared on the counter opposite of him. 

“ _Two_ shots apiece? You trying to get us drunk?” You eyed up the drinks in disbelief. 

“That’s the idea.” Kirk threw a wink and Uhura sighed, talking into your ear. “I knew it was only a matter of time before he would do this. At least we don’t have lecture tomorrow.” 

All four of you took a shot in hand, and Kirk held his up high, indicating a toast of sorts. “To passing this semester with flying colors.” 

You all downed the shots and your stomach turned a bit as you were suddenly reminded of the last time you had tequila. The night ended with you curled around a toilet, heaving your guts out. Warily, you took up the second shot with everyone else. Kirk nodded towards Leonard. “Your turn to toast.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Just drink up.” You all threw back the second shot and you had to fight not to gag as it burned its way down your throat. 

“Yikes, no more tequila for a while.” You frowned and Uhura chuckled beside you. 

After some more idle conversation, you became acutely aware of the strong buzz humming through you like electricity, getting progressively more noticeable. The alcohol had done its job and the muscles of your body had gradually relaxed enough for you to finally let go and enjoy yourself. Your stomach had calmed down, and you ordered another beer as the music picked up, downing it before the song ended. On a whim, you set your drink down on the bar and turned to Uhura, grasping her arm with excitement. “Hey! Let’s go dance.” 

She raised her slender eyebrows up at you for a moment before giving you a nod. “Oh! Sure, yeah.” 

She finished her drink and let you tow her through the throng of people into the middle of the dance floor. Every square inch of space was occupied as the next song started up and you sensed the energy of the floor begin to escalate. You immediately let the beat of the music take over you as you swayed to the tempo, feeling free as the sweat began to collect on your forehead under the hot pulsating lights. Uhura was dancing directly beside you, as there was barely enough room for the both of you to begin with. Your moves weren’t anything provocative—you weren’t interested in that kind of attention. You just let the music carry you away as you moved almost hypnotically to the beat. 

The memory of the last time you’d been on a dance floor hit you---it was when you and your ex-boyfriend had been to a club back home near the beginning of your relationship. He’d been overly protective and hadn’t wanted you to go on the dance floor at all. A pang of anger made itself known but you brushed it away, giving yourself to the beat as the music intensified, growing ever faster and your hips swayed to match. It was somewhat surreal, letting yourself go like this. In that moment, you didn’t care what you looked like or what people thought. You closed your eyes and just let the beat and the heat of the dance floor wash over you, lapping you up into its spell. You let the movements of everyone packed close around guide you and your mind was one with the music, all the worries and the stress of the last few months melting away from your body. 

Out of nowhere, a large pair of hands covered over your hips and the man they were attached to sidled up close behind. You tried to pull away, but he pressed you closer into him, so close that you felt the hardness of his abs against your back and his crotch up snugly against your backside. 

Uhura was angled away from you at the moment as she danced beside a guy with dark curly hair, fully engrossed in what she was doing. 

You tried to pull away again but his grip was like steel. He tipped his head down close to your ear and you could smell his breath dripping with alcohol. “You like that, babe?” he uttered as he ground himself against you. 

“No!” you tried to shout into the crowd, but your words were carried away with the music. You continued struggling but it was no use. He held you pinned against him and you sensed a flutter of panic in your chest as you tried to pry his fingers off your body. You were definitely feeling the effects of all the drinks you’d had that night, and your mind wasn’t as sharp as it was when you were sober, but you were coherent enough to fight back. You tried to step on his foot with your heel but weren’t quite able to aim it properly. "Let go!” 

Your urgency peaked as one meaty hand traveled up from your hip and roved across your stomach, groin still grinding into you as he swayed you to the music. He paused there a moment and leaned into your ear again. “Yeah, you like that, don’t you?” The hand slid up over your breast and you shuddered in revulsion as you tried to wriggle free. 

“Hey! Get off her!” A strong voice cut through the music like a knife and the man’s fingers ripped away from you unexpectedly. 

The crowd parted and you whirled around. Leonard had the man’s shoulder gripped in one hand like a vice as Kirk ran up next him, both men standing tall against the stranger who was bulkier than the two of them put together. 

“Why should I? She liked it,” the man jeered at them with slurred words. 

Leonard’s grip on his shoulder tightened even further and he ground out a low reply that was lost to you in the pulsing of the music. Kirk laid a firm hand on Leonard’s shoulder now, saying words in his ear and clearly trying to calm him down. 

Reluctantly, Leonard gave him a scathing glare and finally released the man’s shoulder roughly. After the stranger muttered some curses at the two of them, he stalked away back into the crowd as everyone that had stopped to watch the altercation turned their attention back to dancing. 

You let go of all the breath you’d been holding and quickly made your way over to Leonard and Kirk, careful not to stumble in your drunken haze. You fought to calm the flurry of emotions swirling around in your head. It was proving to be even more of a challenge considering how drunk you were, and as soon as your eyes met Leonard’s, you felt as if a fresh batch of confusing emotions had been dumped onto you all over again. 

His hand landed lightly on your arm as soon as you were near and you looked up at him in dazed surprise. 

“You alright?” His voice held a ragged edge to it that surprised you. “That guy hurt you?” 

“Wha-? No, no. It’s fine, it s-okay.” You nodded at him in reassurance, trying to make your words comprehensible. “He just pulled me over to ‘em, that’s all.” 

“That son of a--” 

“It’s alright, Bones.” Kirk shot him a heavy look from his right. “She’s clearly fine. He’s just some drunk jackass that was getting a little too handsy. Nothing Y/N couldn’t handle, right?” Kirk shot you a wink and you laughed, the effects of the alcohol rendering all other emotions unintelligible expect for sheer giddiness. You didn’t notice how Leonard’s hand lingered on your arm before he pulled away, or the pointed glare he shot Kirk after you turned to greet Uhura who’d just joined the group. 

“Hey, where’d you go?” She grabbed your arm, oblivious to what had just happened and pulled you back onto the floor. You started dancing again, blissfully unaware of your surroundings and the rest of the night slipped away in a drunken blur of lights and pulsating sound. 

It was only when your feet started to ache that you went back to the bar again, asking the bartender for another beer as you did. You threw back half of it as Uhura joined you and you both headed over to Leonard and Kirk. 

“You guys havin’ fun?” you asked them loudly, your words starting to blend together. 

Leonard sipped his drink and stayed quiet, avoiding your eyes as Kirk gave you a smile. “Not as much fun as you, I don’t think.” 

Uhura glanced at her wristband, checking the time. “It’s getting pretty late. I think I’m all danced out for one night.” 

“You want me to walk you back to your dorm?” Kirk offered with thinly veiled enthusiasm. 

Uhura gave a tight smile, dismissing him with her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” 

She’d had a couple beers during the night along with the shots Kirk had ordered, but she wasn’t anywhere near being drunk. “Y/N, on the other hand...” She gripped your arm protectively. The others had filled her in on what had happened on the dance floor earlier. “Do you want me to walk you back?” 

Before you could answer, Leonard swiftly set his drink on the bar. “It’s alright. I’m takin’ off, too. I’ll take her back with me.” 

He stepped over beside you as you propped yourself up against the bar-top, the fuzziness of your thoughts blurring together as you tried to follow the conversation. “That’s right,” you murmured. “I’ll go with ‘em.” 

Uhura gave you a look to make sure you were in fact okay with her leaving, and you patted her shoulder in reassurance. “Really, it’s fine.” 

She relaxed at that, satisfied with your answer as she glanced around at the group one more time. 

”Alright then. Bye, you guys.” She waved to Leonard and Kirk, facing you again before she left. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” 

You nodded and she made her way through the crowd and out of the bar as Kirk ordered another drink for himself, raking a hand across his face and heaving out a sigh of defeat. 

“Well, I tried. I guess she just isn’t into me.” Jim leaned on his elbows sullenly and Leonard clapped him on the back. “You can’t get ‘em all, kid.” 

You chuckled beside them, stretching your arms out across the glass counter of the bar as you placed your head on one of them. “Awww, Jim. You tried your best. You really did. You’re such a good guy, and she’s s-ssuch a good girl. It’s too bad, it’s really too bad. You tried your best, n’that’s all that matters, you really did.....” Being drunk always had a way of loosening your tongue. 

Kirk smirked at you sideways as Leonard’s eyebrow arched. “Alrighty, I think it’s time for us to call it a night.” He looked over at Kirk. “You gonna be okay, here?” 

“Yeah, sure. Sure.” Kirk shooed him away, lifting his fingers off his glass. “You guys go ahead. I’ll just finish this drink and I’ll be gone.” 

Leonard paused for a second, not wanting to leave his friend behind. Kirk sent him a final nod of assurance and he turned back to you, assessing your current state of inebriation. 

“Lord, you really did it up tonight, didn’t you?” He muttered it under his breath and you stepped in much too close, laughing directly in his face.“I have _no_ idea what you’re talking about...... _Doctor._ ” 

“Right.” He bit his lower lip and shook his head. “Let’s go, come on. Time for bed.” After saying goodbye to Jim, he carefully placed a hand on your lower back, gently navigating you through the crowd and out the exit. 

The crisp evening air hit your face so hard it was like you had just dunked your head in a bucket of ice water. “Oh, my god! It’s _freezing_!” You laughed through your teeth as you staggered to one side a bit, and his strong hands covered over your upper arms, keeping you upright. 

“Alright, little lady, we’re gettin’ you home.” He gently pushed you in the direction of your dorm and you began to walk under your own power. He kept pace close beside you in case you had any troubles walking a straight line. You lolled your head back as you walked to take in the stars that had just begun to reveal themselves in the night sky. 

“Aren’t stars just the most beautiful things in the entire _universe_?” you gasped out beside him and he chuckled to himself. 

“Yeah, they sure are.” 

You looked ahead again and briskly rubbed your hands across your arms covered in goosebumps. “It’s _freezing_.” 

“Oh, right. You don’t have a jacket, I suppose.” You both came to a stop as he shrugged out of his brown leather jacket and stood in your path, securely wrapping it around your shoulders as you grasped at the edges to keep it in place. 

“Why _thank_ _you_ _,_ kind sir. Such a gentlemen.” you mumbled around a giggle. 

His eyebrow went up wordlessly and you both resumed your walk. You were silent and you turned your head to take in his silhouette beside you, noticing details you hadn’t before. A slight shadow of stubble was just starting to darken the jaw of his normally clean-shaven face. He must have forgotten to shave that morning. For some reason, this discovery made you burst out into another bought of giggles. 

As the building that housed your dorm came into view, your roommate shrewdly deduced that you were in no condition to try climbing stairs, and wisely steered you into the dorm’s elevator once you both entered the lobby. 

He punched in the keycode outside of your dorm room three minutes later as you rambled in his ear about the various categories of star classifications according to their luminosity; something you recently finished studying up on earlier that evening. 

“N’so the _second_ classific’tion is the less luminous supergiants which’re not as luminous as the main sequence of dwarf stars. N’then you move onto the higher class which is separated into two categories...” You lost your train of thought as he pushed the door open and you both headed inside. 

“We’re home!” you clapped your hands lightly in delight and Leonard carefully tugged his coat off your shoulders, hanging it up on the hook of the door. Instead of turning on the regular lights, he settled for the lone bulb above the stove as you tried in vain to slip off your heels. 

“ _Leonard_.....” you huffed in frustration from the doorway. He was caught off-guard and paused briefly before stepping over to help you. You plopped yourself into the dining chair nearest the door and stretched out a foot to him. 

He puffed out his breath as he knelt down on one knee and cradled your foot in his hands, setting to work on the thin ankle strap that you were having trouble undoing yourself. You were expecting his touch to be firm and rigid but it was the exact opposite. 

“Pretty sure you’ve never used my first name before. You must be even more drunk than I thought.” He intoned with his head down as he tried to get a better look at the strap. 

You tilted your head, considering his observation. “You know what, I think you’re right.” You giggled and threw your head back. “Maybe I should just call you Bones like Jim does. Good ol’ Jimmy.” 

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” he mumbled gruffly as he tugged your foot closer. “What in the hell is holdin’ this thing on? Crazy glue?” The strap was held closed with a small, delicate clasp that his fingers were having trouble maneuvering. After uttering a few curses under his breath, the clasp finally popped open and your foot was set free. 

He put the shoe aside and cupped your other foot in his hand as he let go another exhale. “You have to have _two_ feet, now don’t ya?” 

Shortly after, he let your other foot drop as he swept both shoes out of the way and you went to stand back up. 

“Woah,” you let out a spurt of laughter as you wobbled and grabbed both of the armrests. Leonard was instantly at your side, guiding you back safely into the chair. You figured the walk outside would have sobered you up some, but the liquor was still clearly affecting your co-ordination _. When did I get to be such a lightweight_? 

“Now, you’re too drunk to just be hoppin’ outta chairs like that. Take it slow and easy.” You took his advice and carefully gave it another go, pushing yourself up into a standing position as carefully as you could manage. You stood well enough this time, but as soon as you went to take a step forward, you teetered once again and Leonard had to work to keep you upright. 

“Here, just grab onto me and I’ll lead your over to your bed, alright?” He held out both arms, expecting you to take them. Instead, you reached up and closed the distance between you both, wrapping your arms securely around his neck. 

“Or, we can do that.” He muttered as he placed his hands at your waist, pulling you up out of the chair and slowly shuffling backward in the direction of your bed as you held onto him like deadweight. 

Once you both were only a couple of steps away, he turned around so your back was facing the bed. 

“Okay, easy does it. I’ll just lower you down, here.” He talked you through what he was doing methodically as if he were speaking to one of his patients, carefully tilting you back as he eased you onto the bed. You let your hands gradually slip down from his neck to his shoulders, then finally to his upper arms and you both paused in place as your eyes suddenly found each other. 

His body was bent over so close you could feel his warm breath graze your neck, and somehow the way he was holding you now seemed extremely intimate; you were practically chest-to-chest. Both of his hands were spread out across your back and the muscles of his arms were taught as he worked to steady himself in position. You stared into his eyes unabashed as your drunken mind was numbed to all sense of decency and decorum. He held your gaze and you continued to hold on to him, bunching up the fabric of his shirt in your palms as you remained frozen in the closeness of his presence. Neither of you moved for several seconds as time seemingly stood still. 

Too soon, he began to lower you down the rest of the way to the mattress and broke the hold. You laid there motionless, arms spread out around your head and the blood still pumping loudly in your ears from the close contact. 

“Alright, well,” he stepped away and you could barely hear him. “I’ll ah....here, I’ll put a pail next to your bed, just in case you gotta hurl durin’ the night.” 

He was only gone a moment or two, but when he returned with pail in hand he found you snoring softly exactly where he’d placed you on the bedspread, dead to the world. 

_A/N: Ah, now we are getting somewhere! I always enjoy the_ _fics_ _where the main character has to take care of the Reader/love interest in some way. Hope you all have a good week!_ _😊_ _xoxox_


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader wakes up the morning after the bar and struggles to remember what happened. Mccoy and Kirk pay a visit to a sick little boy and we figure out why Leonard is so invested in his progress.

**Room with a View**

Chapter 8 

_A/N: Hello again! This took longer to post than I would have liked, sorry about that. I’m planning to put up the next chapter a little quicker! There isn’t a whole lot of Reader/Bones interaction in this chapter, but it’s laying the groundwork for things later on in the story. Enjoy!_

You woke up with a start, instantly cupping your forehead with your palm. Your brain felt like it had just soaked in a tub of molasses overnight, heavy and sluggish to the point where you had to let your head fall back on the pillow to regain your strength. Dull aches began to trace their way along your temples and even the slim crack of light illuminating the edges of the window shade seemed as bright as the surface of the sun. 

You hadn’t been this hungover in......ever. 

There had been times in the past where you’d partied hard with your friends over the years; gone and celebrated someone’s birthday or graduation or engagement. And you always paid for it the next day, usually sporting a headache and a general sense of nausea that only went away with a large order of greasy take-out food. 

But this morning was on a whole other level. You could barely hold your eyes open and you groaned at the effort to keep them that way. You continued to clutch your forehead as you willed yourself not the throw up all over the bedspread, trying to think back to what in the hell even happened last night. 

You remembered showing up with Uhura, seeing Leonard and Jim at the bar. You recalled how jittery you were and all the drinks you had. And the shots. Those damn tequila shots. 

And there was dancing, too. Lots and lots of dancing. Even now, you were aware of your bare pulsing feet, still aching and sore from the night out. The heels you’d worn definitely left a lot to be desired in the comfort department. You decided you might as well just throw them out now. No shoe in the world was worth this pain. 

After your eyes finally adjusted to the light, you chanced a peek around the room as you continued to lay flat on your back. Your roommate’s bed was made and empty, and you could see that the bathroom door was open...he must be out. 

_Good, because I feel like a fucking train-wreck._ You continued to lay in bed, trying to ease the pounding inside your skull. You managed to sit completely upright after a little while, realizing you wanted nothing more than to throw back a few aspirin and replicate yourself a sandwich—anything to soak up the remaining liquor that was undoubtedly still in your system somewhere. 

Shuffling over to the kitchen as slow as you could manage, you made it all the way to the sink without incident. Carefully reaching up, you opened the cabinet containing the aspirin, unscrewing the cap and popping two extra-strength tablets in your mouth. You chased it with a cup of water, trying not to gag as they went down. You hated swallowing pills. 

You heard the sharp beeps of the keypad at the door and it swung open shortly after, almost giving you a heart attack in the stillness of the dorm. Leonard appeared with a shopping bag in one hand as he tossed his wallet on the counter. He shut the door and you went unnoticed for the moment as he laid the bag on the table, slipping out of his jacket before finally looking up and seeing you standing there, clutching your cup of water. 

“Well, look who’s risen from the dead,” he smirked as he went over to the sink. You moved so he could wash his hands, trying to steady your churning stomach that was still in need of a meal. 

You said nothing as he wiped his hands dry, regarding you with a critical eye as you continued to sip on your water. 

“You look somethin’ awful.” 

You huffed into your cup, giving him a glare. “You really know how to flatter a girl.” Your voice was dry and hoarse, and it felt like you hadn’t uttered any words in years. You drained the rest of your water, clearing your throat as your roommate eyed you with concern. 

“It’s true. You really did a number on yourself last night. You better rest and take it easy today.” He turned back to his shopping bag, lifting out the contents one by one. There was a large jug of ginger ale, a lemon, multiple dry packets of dissolvable antihistamine, and some other things you didn’t recognize. 

“What’s all this for?” you asked, indicating the bag with a finger. 

“I’m gonna make you a hangover remedy that I’ve been perfectin’ for years. One sip of this baby and you’ll be convinced that I can cure a rainy day.” 

You picked up one of the powder packets, skimming the directions on the back. “But some of this stuff is for dealing with cold and flu symptoms. I’m not sick.....I’m hungover.” 

“You wanna get better or don’t you?” He grabbed a mug from the cabinet, motioning to the dining table. “Now go sit down before you fall over.” 

You did as instructed, setting your cup of water down as you watched him prepare the drink in silence. You shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d have a recipe like this—he was a _doctor_ after all. Maybe your surprise stemmed more from the fact that he’d actually taken the time to buy the ingredients and make this drink for you in the first place. 

You stopped your train of thought, the simple act of overthinking making your head hurt even more. You folded your arms on the tabletop, slumping your head over them and enjoying the darkness they provided. 

“I just want to die,” you groaned into your arms. “I’m never drinking again.” 

You heard him chuckle as he stirred the drink with a spoon. “You’re not the first to say that. Not the last either.” 

He brought over the steaming mug soon after, placing it in front of you as you wearily lifted your head from the comfort of your folded arms. Your eyes darted from the mug to Leonard’s face, the latter staring at you expectantly. 

“Go on. Drink up.” He nudged the mug even closer. “It’s got a pretty decent taste. And it’ll help clear your head.” 

You took the mug in your hands, eyeing its contents with a hint of suspicion. You brought it up to your nose, breathing it in and smelling the strong scent of citrus. You drew a long sip, the warm liquid soothing your throat and calming your upset stomach almost instantly. 

“Wow.” You licked your lips and took another drink. “This isn’t half bad.” You felt yourself perking up as you continued to drain the mug, your roommate sitting across from you with a knowing look on his face. 

“See, I told ya.” You rolled your eyes at him, annoyed that he had been right. 

He shifted in his chair as you downed the last of the citrus concoction. “So….you remember anythin’ from last night at all?” 

You held the mug cupped in your hands as you scoffed. “I was going to ask you, actually. It’s all pretty fuzzy for me. Lots of dancing and obviously lots of drinking. I don’t know what came over me, I....I never usually drink like that.” You glanced down at the mug, feeling your face heat up with shame. 

Leonard made a casual gesture with his hand. “I wouldn’t worry about it. You just let off some steam, that’s all. You didn’t do anythin’ too embarassin’....not that I saw anyway.” 

“Oh, that’s good. I’m sure Uhura can let me know what all happened. I remember that Jim was talking to her quite a bit, but she ended up leaving alone. Poor Jim.” 

“Ah, he’ll get over it. He’s a tough kid.” 

You smiled at him in agreement, staring down at the mug as the memories from last night started to reveal themselves in your mind. You recalled walking outside for some reason....with Leonard. Wearing a coat that wasn’t yours. 

“Did…did you walk me home?” It came out suddenly, and you found his eyes with yours as you said it. 

He cleared his throat, quickly looking away as he shifted in his chair again. “Yeah, well. You could barely walk a straight line. I thought it was a good idea.” 

A surge of gratitude towards him flooded your body as the memory became clearer. He had given you his jacket, and helped you with your shoes. He’d taken the time to make you this wonderful drink, all because....you didn’t really know why. But you knew that, for all his flaws, Leonard Mccoy might actually be a decent guy. 

“Thank you,” you said softly. His eyes met yours again and he offered you a small smile in return. 

“No problem.” 

It was at that moment that you became aware you were still in your dress from the night before, which was now heavily rumpled from sleep. You glanced down and noticed the neckline was harshly pulled over to one side and down much lower than it was meant to sit, showing more cleavage than you were comfortable with. You realized your makeup hadn’t been washed off yet, and was probably smeared around your eyes in the most unflattering way. You didn’t even want to think about what your hair looked like. 

You jumped up from your chair. “Uh, I think --I’m just gonna change and go back to bed.” 

Stepping to the bathroom, you paused at the doorway and looked back at him again before you entered. “Thanks for the drink.” 

He crooked up his mouth and nodded. “Anytime.” 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

You sat in lecture hall the next morning, pulling at the sleeves of your uniform and trying to pay attention as the silver-haired instructor led the class through the multiple slides projected near the front of the room. You were thankfully back to your normal self again—the painful reminders of a couple nights ago now just a memory. After another round of Leonard’s homemade remedy drink and lots of sleep, all the ill-effects from the bar night had been erased. 

“Delta rays are radiation produced by the older class of starship engines, namely the RCL-22 and RVC-55 series. If exposed to high enough dosage, these rays can cause critical damage to engine components, even illness and death to the affected party. Delta radiation can be useful in certain circumstances however, such as when a starship is beginning passage into a heavily concentrated asteroid belt with---” 

You sighed inwardly, trying to keep your focus on the topic at hand but sensing your concentration slip. The sciences were definitely interesting, but heavy on memorization of facts. If the facts interested you, it was easy enough to pay attention. When they didn’t though, it was akin to pulling teeth. 

You leaned into Uhura who sat beside you, PADD set up on the desk in front of her. “Wanna grab some lunch after?” 

“Sure,” she murmured back as she absentmindedly wound a strand of hair around her finger, clearly bored with the topic being discussed as much as you were. 

You were about to lean away when something else occurred to you. “Did you know that Leonard walked me home? That night we all went out.” 

She nodded as the instructor continued to drone on.“Yeah, he did. He was pretty protective of you that night actually, after that douche tried feeling you up on the dance floor.” 

You gave a puzzled look. “Wow. Wait…there was a douche?” 

Uhura rolled her eyes as she angled in closer to keep her voice low. “Yes! Don’t you remember? I didn’t see it, I was too busy dancing. Kirk and Leonard told me about it after. Some guy came up and was trying to grind on you. _Scumbag._ ” She hissed that last part. “But then I guess Leonard pulled him away from you and that was that.” 

You tilted your head as it all came flooding back. “Oh, that’s right. That guy....yeah, he was a real piece of work. Grabbing me like I was his property. And then.....Leonard came and stopped him. Wow.” You were saying that a lot lately. But you were constantly being wowed by your roommate these past few days. Sitting back in your chair, you let the noise of the lecture pass over you as you re-lived the memory. 

“I know you think he’s kind of an ass, but I think Mccoy is actually not that bad of a guy.” Uhura whispered in your ear before leaning away again. You had to admit that you’d recently come to the same conclusion. 

The first weeks of living with him had been rough, there was no getting around that. You’d contemplated switching roommates with someone, _anyone_ , so many times that you thought it would happen at some point with 99% certainty. But as time had gone on, you both learned to adapt to each other, and that night out had possibly been a turning point in your relationship. A turning point for the better. 

Maybe it was possible for you two to go from being just roommates to actual....friends. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

Mccoy followed Jim up the stone steps to the now-familiar front door of the Morgan residence. It was only a handful of blocks away from the Academy--fitting since Mr. Morgan was the Dean. The estate was impressive from the outside, with smartly trimmed shrubbery lining the front gate and a door-knocker Leonard suspected would be worth his entire tuition. 

He never knew how to dress for these visits. He tried to keep it casual the first few times, but the marble flooring and vaulted ceilings made him feel like he was the janitor. Ever since, he classed it up a bit with his most expensive button-down and the shiny leather shoes he reserved for things like weddings and dinner dates. Despite the improvements to his outfit, he still felt out of place and was glad that Jim usually took the lead in these things. Not that he would ever tell him that to his face. 

He knew Jim’s father had been close with the Morgan family before he passed away, but Leonard kept forgetting to ask exactly how they met each other. More like he avoided the subject of Jim’s father like the plague—he didn’t want to dredge up any painful memories for his friend unnecessarily. 

Kirk rang the doorbell, bouncing lightly on his heel as he waited for the door to open. Seconds later, they were welcomed by Jaime’s father, Mr. Morgan. He was a tall man who had dark curly hair peppered with grey, and he was never without his pair of glasses---something considered quite old-fashioned in the current climate of readily-accessible corrective eye procedures. 

He gave the two men a familiar smile. “Jim, Leonard. How wonderful to see you both again. Come in, please.” 

He stepped aside so they could enter the foyer, and Leonard tried to keep his staring to a minimum. He was awed by the place every time he set foot inside its impeccably decorated interior, and each time it served to remind him that there were things even money couldn’t buy. Like your child’s good health. 

“Thanks. Nice to see you too, Mr. Morgan.” Jim returned the smile with one of his own as the three men made their way to the left and down an expansive hallway. 

“Now I told you Jim, you can call me John.” Mr. Morgan led them down to his son’s room at the end of the hall. “Jaime’s pretty excited to see you both today. It’s all he can talk about.” 

He stood before a door with a poster of a starship tacked to its front and pushed it open, revealing a large bedroom filled with everything a six-year-old boy could ever desire. Stuffed animals lined the upper shelves and a full-sized remote-controlled race-car track wound along the floor near the expansive bedroom window. A holo-TV was mounted to the wall blaring out a popular children’s cartoon. 

What was not typical for the bedroom of a six-year-old was the small cluster of medical machines at the head of Jaime’s bed. There was an IV pole and an array of monitoring tools set out on a nightstand along with stacks of heated blankets, kidney basins and medications. Leonard had to tilt his head around the equipment to see the little patient tucked into the bedspread, the head of the bed propped up so the child could have full view of the TV. 

“Hey! Jim’s here, Jim’s here!” Jaime exclaimed and the live-in nurse that had been sitting beside him smiled as the boys face split into a gap-toothed grin. 

“Who else were you expecting, huh? The tooth fairy?” Jim lumbered over to the side of the bed, tousling Jaime’s hair as the boy laughed. 

“And I guess I’m just chopped liver.” Leonard said dryly from the foot of the bed, crossing his arms in mock irritation. 

Jaime scrunched up his nose. “No you’re not. You’re Bones.” 

Leonard shot Jim a look of real irritation this time. “Yeah, that’s me....I guess.” He ran a hand over the smooth wood of the footboard. “How’re you feelin’ today, kid?” 

“I’m good! I’m ready for my lesson. Jim’s teaching me ‘bout how the starships shoot their photon torpedoes and stuff.” Jaime shifted so he was sitting up completely, and the nurse switched off the TV. 

Jim grinned down at him. "And after that I’ll show ya how the transporter beams work. But only if you can tell me what red alert means.” 

The boy curled his upper lip to his nose as he thought, then straightened up in bed as the answer came to him. “That means you go to your station as fast as you can and you wait there and you make sure you have a phaser and …..you have to do your job until the red alert is put down to a yellow alert.” He turned his big eyes up to Jim expectantly. 

“Correct. See, I’ll make a crewman outta you yet.” He lightly gave Jaime a punch in the arm as the nurse stepped out of the room for her break. Jim and Jaime continued their chat about starships as Leonard and Mr. Morgan stood off to one side of the bedroom, arms crossed as they both assessed the boy from afar. 

“How’s he been doin’?” Leonard kept his voice low, taking in the child’s pale skin and the rings under his eyes. He was looking thinner than normal, and it didn’t escape his notice that the boy’s breakfast laid untouched on the side table. 

Mr. Morgan gave a tired sigh, and Leonard noticed he was looking worse for wear. “It’s not good, Leonard. He just went in for another round of treatment, and the doctors aren’t happy with the progress. They keep saying they’re getting close to a cure, and I want to believe them but....I don’t know how much longer we can wait.” His eyes landed on Leonard with a spark of hope in them. “Have you had any luck?” 

Leonard swallowed, not wanted to extinguish that spark. “Not yet. I’ve been workin’ on it every spare second I have in the lab. I can access all the team’s data. They’ve been good about keepin’ me in the loop, at your instruction of course.” 

He ran a hand over his jaw and continued. “They aren’t lyin’ though, it’s close. It’s real close. But it’s not ready yet.” He paused, trying to think of something else to say that would ease the pain and frustration of waiting for an answer, but failed. “It still needs more time.” 

Leonard hated giving bad news like this. He hated making Mr. Morgan’s face contort into the helpless look he was giving now. He hated that there was a sick little boy who was getting sicker by the moment and how his future was far from certain. 

When Jim first told him about how Mr. Morgan was looking for qualified applicants who wanted more experience in the lab along with a shot at curing a serious medical condition, he’d jumped at the chance. He’d always been fascinated by the side of medicine that took place under a microscope, and this extra experience would serve to improve his Starfleet resume. The Academy already had a weekly lab dedicated to interspace pathology, and part of that was being able to isolate a specific pathogen and neutralize it, eradicating it entirely if possible. He took all the knowledge he’d already learned in lab and applied it to this project, reading extra material on the subject during his off time whenever he could. He planned to take all the experience he gathered working on the Morgan case into space with him, believing he would be a better doctor for it. 

What he hadn’t realized was, this patient needed him more than he needed the project. Jaime’s whole family needed him. 

Mr. Morgan’s gaze fell to the floor. “I understand. People have been working on this for centuries. It may never be cured, who knows. I just....” His eyes fell on his son, small and sickly with an IV line connected to his hand as he continued a spirited conversation with Jim. “I want to do all I can.” 

“I know.” Leonard nodded and Mr. Morgan went to leave the room, pausing to squeeze Jaime’s foot gently before disappearing into the hallway. 

His words echoed in Leonard’s head like a song on repeat. 

_I want to do all I can_. 

The words acted as a catalyst and Leonard was caught up in a vivid memory, something he always tried so hard to repress. 

_He saw the hospital room clearly with its blinding florescent lights. The_ _blood spattered_ _across the white- tiled floor, soaking into the sheets that covered his then- wife’s knees as she clutched at them hard enough to make her knuckles turn white. She continued to push, her cries echoing out in agony. He held onto her fingers hard while she had given birth, knowing deep in his heart that something was wrong. He went to one of the nurses, feeling completely useless, voicing the same words Mr. Morgan had said._

 _“I want to do all I can”._

_The nurse had given him a look of pity, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. “Just be with your wife. There is nothing else you can do right now.”_

_And then, that sickening moment when he first saw the child, his little girl, limply and soundlessly in the arms of the doctor. The pain and the anguish that had swelled up within him at the doctor’s hollow words._

_“She’s a stillbirth. I’m so sorry.”_

It had been years since it happened, but time had served to dull nothing. Every detail was as crisp as if it had just taken place yesterday, and the despair was just as gut-wrenching. 

Shaking his head, he took a breath to calm himself and he was aware of the bedroom again. Jim had sat on the edge of Jaime’s bed now, drawing him a rough diagram of a transporter pad with a crayon and a blank sheet of craft paper. 

“So, the crewman at the controls tracks the landing party’s co-ordinates through the panel, and he can see them on the planet’s surface.” Jim explained as Jaime leaned in to see his drawing. “And when it’s time for them to come back, the crewman just puts their co-ordinates into the machine and it beams them back on board. Simple as that.” 

Jaime nodded in understanding, his brow furrowed in concentration as his took in the lesson. “Ok. Does it hurt?” 

Jim laughed and shook his head. “You don’t feel a thing.” 

“I don’t know if you’d call mild nausea and the occasional headache “not feelin’ a thing”, but whatever.” Leonard sat on the other side of the bed, gently re-positioning the pillow behind Jaime that had fallen low towards his back. 

“Hey, Jaime,” he began with a tone much softer than the one he’d used before. “You mind if I take some blood again?” 

The boy frowned at first, rubbing his inner elbow where the hypo normally went. “Do you have to?” 

The doctor in training lightly placed a hand on Jaime’s knee, his eyes full of understanding. “I know it’s not very fun. But I’m workin’ to find a medicine that can make you all better. And I need a blood sample to help me do that.” He gave the knee a squeeze and inclined his head in Jim’s direction. “You can hold his hand if you want.” 

Jaime shook his head vigorously. “I’m not a baby! I don’t need to hold hands.” 

The boy crooked out his arm obediently as Leonard sanitized his hands and prepared the hypo needle next to him. Jim started to tell the boy about the inner workings of the engineering deck on a starship as Leonard swiftly injected the needle and withdrew the blood sample. Swabbing the area clean, he was about to stand back up when Jaime suddenly addressed him again, eyes large with wonder and innocence. 

“Am I getting better, Bones?” 

The question stopped Leonard cold, and he was frozen in place for a moment. He didn’t know what to say. He certainly didn’t want to lie to the kid, but he wanted to keep his spirits up at the same time. His eyes darted to Jim and back to the dark-haired boy in front of him, waiting patiently for his answer. 

He finally leaned into the boy, putting an arm around his shoulders as he spoke low in his ear. 

“I’m doin’ all I can, kid. Doin’ all I can.” 

_A/N: Thanks for the read! I’ve got some ideas cooked up that I’m really excited to write. Always appreciate the comments and kudos. Hope you all have a wonderful week. Take care out there! xoxox_


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are beginning to notice that Leonard looks more tired than usual and you're not quite sure why. Winter break is coming up and everyone is making plans for their off-time.

**Room with a View**

Chapter 9 

_A/N: Hello out there! Oh dear, I definitely didn’t mean to go so long between updates, I was pretty busy working on my collaboration for the_ _ReaderxMccoy_ _December collection (shout out to Sandmann!) that we posted here during the holidays._

_But here I am back again with Chapter 9, I hope you enjoy! This chapter mentions Christmas, so you can tell I started working on it in December. Just a tad late to post......_

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much, sis.” 

You scoffed in the cellphone that was held up to your ear. “How can I _not_ worry about it? I studied _so_ hard, I made endless pages of notes. My hand still has a cramp from typing so much.” You were making hand gestures in the air to emphasize your points. “I stayed shut up in my dorm for the entire week and I still failed.” Saying the word _failed_ out loud left behind a bitter taste in your mouth. 

“Well, like you said before. Memorizing facts isn’t your strong suit. Everyone has their weaknesses, and everyone has their strengths. And it wasn’t for lack of trying. You did your best and that’s all you can really do. You think I passed all _my_ exams at engineering school? Hardly.” 

Usually, your older brother’s cool head and sound logic made you more at ease about things, but this time his words couldn’t quite reach you. Ever since you were both children, he’d been the calm, rational one—always quicker to analysis than emotion. That’s why you tended to go to him when things got tough for advice, rather than your parents, or even your friends. He always listened to everything you had to say and he never passed unfair judgement. 

You re-adjusted yourself cross-legged on your bed with your back resting against the wall, still holding your phone to your ear. You could have put it on hands-free mode like a normal human being, but you preferred having people’s voices close to you. They sounded clearer that way and you could almost pretend you were talking to them in person. 

You wished your brother was here right now. 

“My professor is going to let me re-take the test at least,” you said. “But one more failure and I’ll have to re-do the entire class.” You couldn’t help it when your bottom lip slid out into a small pout at that. You were emotionally deflated and all of your motivation was completely gone ever since you received your failing grade. You were starting to really wonder if this whole “Starfleet Academy” thing had been the right choice for you and your future. 

“Hey, that’s good news.” Your brother’s voice made you hold the phone tighter as another wave of home-sickness hit you. “I’m sure the next test will go smoother, now that you know what to expect. And anyway, the sciences are only one part of your training. You made it through the engineering section with no problems, right?” 

“I guess.” 

“And you were holding your own in this class until recently. You just have to keep grinding through until you get into your actual major.” 

“Mm-hmm.” He was right, like always. 

“Communications is why you went into the Academy in the first place, all this other stuff is just introductory. So, don’t let it get you down, alright? I know you’re really hard on yourself, but you can’t let this one setback make you doubt everything else.” 

You chuckled inwardly to yourself. He knew you so well. “Somehow, I knew you were going to say that, Sam. It’s like we’re related or something.” 

You could hear his smile through the phone. “Yeah, well. _Someone_ has to try and save you from yourself.” 

The front door to your dorm opened just then, and Leonard appeared from the other side with his book bag slung over his shoulder. You straightened up a bit and wrapped up your conversation. “Well, thank God for that. I gotta go now, though. Send Teresa my love.” 

“I will. Oh, are you still coming out for the holidays?” 

“Yep, that’s the plan. I’ll let you know for sure when it gets closer. Bye, Sammy.” 

“I told you I hate that name like a thousand times.” For a moment, he was seven years old again, scolding his younger sister with arms crossed. 

You giggled under your breath, unable to help yourself from using his loathed nickname. “Whatever, _Sam._ Talk to you later.” 

You ended the call and placed the phone on the bedspread as Leonard slowly pulled out some textbooks from his bag and set them on the dining table. He lifted his head and an eyebrow at the same time. “Your brother?” 

“Yeah. I usually try to call at least once a month. Especially when I need some cheering up.” 

He frowned a bit as he closed his bag and tossed it on one of the dining chairs. “Why, what happened?” 

You drew one of the soft decorative pillows from the head of the bed into your lap, plucking at it in annoyance with yourself. “Oh, it’s nothing…so stupid.” You shook your head. “I just failed my last exam on atomic theory and subspace particles that I wrote yesterday and I was feeling pretty down about it.” 

You stomach sank low and you dropped your eyes, as if you were afraid to see his expression. In case he was disappointed. _Why would I care what he thinks? He’s not a professor. He’s not in my class. He’s not even in the same year as me._

“That’s too bad. At least the professors give you one make-up test before they make you re-take everythin'." He plopped into one of the chairs, slouching forward to take off the boots of his uniform. 

You blinked, assuming he’d have a stronger reaction than that. Just when you thought you had him all figured out, he would go and act completely different than expected. “Oh. Well....yeah. It _is_ nice. I’m glad I’ll have another chance at it.” 

As you continued studying him from across the room, you noticed how his skin seemed paler than normal, and the rings under his eyes were more pronounced. Even his movements lacked a certain energy that they normally had. He looked like he could collapse at any minute and your face drew up in a slight frown. 

He sensed your stare and glanced up through the dark hair that had fallen across his forehead as he continued to tug at his boots. “What?” 

Your eyes flicked back to the pillow in your lap as you smoothed your hand across the soft fibers, enjoying how they felt on your skin. “Oh, nothing. I guess I was just expecting a bigger reaction from you, that’s all.” 

He gave a turn of his head with a light scoff out the side of his mouth. “It’s not a real big deal. Everyone at the Academy flunks somethin’ sooner or later. Nobody’s perfect.” 

Your fingers stopped their nervous plucking. “Really?” 

“Sure.” He pushed his boots to the side and got up, rolling off his socks and unbuttoning his maroon uniform shirt. “I failed my first exam on the history of the Eugenics wars. But I wrote the make-up test and life went on.” 

You nodded, and the revelation that even “top-of-his class Leonard” wasn’t perfect made you speechless for a second. For some reason, hearing him admit to failing an exam gave you more hope in your own situation and you could feel your anxiety over it lessen marginally. 

“Well, that gives me hope. I guess I shouldn’t pack up my bags just yet, then.” You mustered up half a grin in his direction and he returned it. 

“You’ll be just fine.” He pulled off the top of his uniform and placed it in the laundry hamper at the foot of his bed. The tone of his voice and the way he moved made it clear he was weary, and you were surprised when he grabbed up one of his button-downs and not the T-shirt he normally slept in. 

“Are you going somewhere?” you asked, some concern coloring your voice. 

“Yeah, just headin’ out to the library for a few hours.” He stifled back a yawn. 

“But, you look so tired. Maybe you should just take the night off and--” 

“No.” He cut you off curtly and your eyes widened. He pulled on his clean shirt and moved to face you, his expression softening. “No, I meant....I have a pretty big project I’m workin’ on and I really need to make some headway on it. I’ll take a day to rest tomorrow.” 

“Speaking of rest,” you began, hugging the pillow in your lap. “I’m going out to my brother’s house to visit my family for winter holidays. Are you going anywhere?” 

He picked up his book bag and slid his PADD inside, shaking his head. “Nah. I usually spend it here. It’s a good time to get caught up on everythin’ or even get a little bit ahead if I can. Plus, the whole campus is practically deserted and all the labs are freed up.” 

You hugged your pillow even tighter. “Really? Not even to see your family?” 

“Not much family left to see.” His face was blank and you couldn’t tell if he was trying to hide something or if he really had no one to visit. “Is your whole family gonna be there at Sam’s place?” He changed the subject and you noticed, but you let it slide. 

“Yeah, most everyone gets together at his place. Him and his wife Teresa live in this big farmhouse and they love to decorate it for Christmas. They’re trying to start a family, and when they do that house is big enough to house at least four kids. I don’t think they want a family quite that big though.” You paused as you thought about the house in more detail. “They have a huge fireplace and everything. Perfect for hanging Christmas stockings and warming yourself up after being out in the snow.” You couldn’t help but grin as you thought about it. 

Leonard could tell how excited you were about your plans just by the way you said the words. He looked up and his eyes were warm. “That sounds wonderful. When are ya goin’?” 

“In a couple weeks. I still have to finalize everything.” You suddenly wished you hadn’t mentioned your wonderful family and your picture-perfect Christmas plans. Here Leonard was with no family to visit, and a plan to spend his holiday at the _Academy_ of all places...something it sounded like he’d done before. Alone and without so much as a homemade Christmas dinner. 

Your mouth was seconds away from opening again with a question when Leonard slung his bag over his shoulder. “Sounds like a great vacation. Well, I’ll probably be out late again. See you in the mornin’.” And he was off. 

Hours later, you and Uhura walked at a leisurely pace toward your dorm after another afternoon filled with long, drawn out lectures. Clouds were gathering overhead and the wind had picked up, making you glad you decided to wear your uniform jacket before leaving for class that morning. December in San Fransisco was definitely milder than you were used to back at home, but the warmer temperatures could bring rain at a moment’s notice. 

“I’m so excited for vacation you don’t even know,” Uhura spoke up beside you as the wind whipped her long ponytail to the side. “I’m going down to Mexico with some of my old friends. I’ve never been there but some of them have and they booked us in at one of their favorite resorts.” 

“Wow, you’re so lucky!” 

“I know. I can’t wait to hit the beach. All this dreary December weather is really starting to drag on me.” 

You nodded as you stepped ahead of her and pushed open the side-door of your building. It was an old-fashioned door, but it was closer than the main door from the direction you both were coming from. “Agreed. I wouldn’t mind sitting under the hot sun myself. Remember to send me a postcard!” 

Inside, a male first-year cadet had just bounded down the staircase beyond the doorway and was heading towards it. He reached out and held the door for you as you passed through and Uhura went to follow. 

He was tall and trim, with a cocky grin that stretched wider as he eyed Uhura with intent. She looked up briefly as she paused in the doorway. 

“Interested?” he asked as he stared down at her with a smug upturn of his lips, the look on his face telling her all she needed to know. 

“Not on your life,” she clipped and strode past him without so much as a backwards glance. 

You let out a chuckle as you both set up the first flight of stairs and the cadet disappeared through the door reminiscent of a puppy with his tail between his legs. “My god, how do you stand being hit on so often? And by so many _losers_.” 

She rolled her eyes heavenward. “I wish I knew. Trust me, it’s not something I welcome. Maybe I’m putting some kind of weird vibe out there. Are you getting a vibe from me?” 

You shook your head and laughed, coming to a stop in front of your dorm and huffing a sigh. “Well, I guess I’m probably going to study for the rest of the night. You wanna come in? We can hang out for a bit. You know I’m all about procrastinating.” 

“Thanks, but I’m gonna head back to my place now, I think. I promised my roommate I’d help her with her hair. She’s going on a date tonight. You should see the dress she picked out. I swear, green skin looks good in everything. I’m so jealous.” 

“Fair enough. It’s probably a good thing anyway, I really need to study. If that cadet gives you trouble again, just holler and I’ll come rescue you!” 

You waved as your friend left in the other direction and you went to punch in your door code, trying to decide if you wanted tea or coffee before you sat down for some much-needed quality time with your notes. 

_“I told you, it’s taken care of. I took my name off. All you have to do is sign the damn thing and it’s yours.”_

Your fingers hovered over the keypad as you heard Leonard’s voice through the door. He sounded agitated. 

_“Of course I did. What do you think, I want to drag this out even longer?”_

You were frozen in place, unsure what to do. You didn’t feel like barging in right now while he was on the phone--you wanted to give him privacy for what was clearly an unpleasant conversation. But you didn’t move away either, still standing by the door as more of his words flew out into the hallway. 

_“Right, ‘cause that’s exactly what I said. Why must this always be a fight? Haven’t I given you enough already? When is it ever enough?”_

It was silent for a moment and you thought that maybe he had hung up. You brought your fingers up to the keypad once more and went to type in the code. 

_“Goddamnit!”_

You heard a sharp thud, as if something had been thrown on the floor and you instantly retracted from the door, whipping around and walking the same way you had come a moment ago. You figured you’d go mill around one of the stores on campus for a while and give your roommate some space. 

Your mind replayed what you’d heard over and over as the cool outside air hit your face and you walked briskly across the quad. Leonard had obviously been arguing with someone, but who? You thought some more as you passed through the doors of the little shop on the corner and realized it might have been his ex-wife. _Poor Leonard._

It wasn’t just the nature of the conversation that had you upset. It was the way his voice had twisted up into a mix of bitterness, frustration and utter helplessness. It made your chest tighten painfully just thinking about it. At least he didn’t have any children with her to make things even more complicated. He already had enough to worry about with his Academy training and everything. 

You let your mind wander as you idly browsed through the shop. It was a small campus convenience store that held a smattering of necessity items—stationary, PADD chargers, snacks and laundry soap. You walked over to some of the bigger items, and your eyes snagged on a shelf dedicated to “Academy Swag.” 

There were multiple T-shirts stamped with the Academy’s logo, bags and backpacks emblazoned with the insignia of the various Academy departments—medical, communications, security, engineering and a few others. You were about to look away when a small row of teddy bears caught your eye. They were about five inches tall and they all wore different colored sweaters to match the different positions on a starship. You smiled as you picked up the bear wearing medical blue, a gleaming Starfleet pin fastened to his sweater front. He sure was adorable. 

You’d been toying with the notion of giving your roommate a Christmas gift for some time, but you were afraid he would take it the wrong way or that he’d be pressured into buying you a present in return. It was only meant to be a little present, nothing special, just something to signal goodwill on your part. You thought it would be a nice way to leave things before going away to see your family, too. And especially after overhearing what you did back at the dorm, you wanted to do something to lift his spirits, if only a little bit. 

And the picture in your mind of Leonard’s expression when he unwrapped the stuffed toy almost had you in stitches. No, maybe this bear was a little too much. You placed him back on the shelf. 

But as you went to walk away, you paused. Something was inwardly tugging you towards the bear, and you picked it up again, raking you fingers through its soft fur as you contemplated your decision. He needed a Christmas gift. He was staying alone at the Academy for two weeks. And if he decided to take it the wrong way, you would just shrug your shoulders and mutter, “What? I thought it was cute, that’s all.” 

Finally making up your mind, you took the medical bear and set over to the self-serve register at the front of the store, along with a holiday gift bag. Your heart felt light as you did, feeling like you’d made the right choice. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

Two more weeks flew by and before you knew it, it was your last day at the Academy before winter break. For this one fact alone, your mood should have been sky-high, but it was nowhere close. 

You had studied your brains out for your make-up exam that morning, and you’d been a tightly wound bundle of nerves the entire week. The exam had been very difficult, and you hadn’t the faintest idea if you passed or not which made you frustrated almost to the point of tears. It was beginning to be a common feeling for you and you were sick of it. The fact that you had to wait until _after_ winter break to get your final results really irritated you, and you knew the worry would be sitting on the edge of your mind for your entire vacation, ensuring that you wouldn’t ever be able to truly relax. 

You decided to hit the grocery store a couple blocks down before heading back to the dorm for the day, a decision you regretted the instant you set foot in the place. Apparently, everyone else in the surrounding area had the same idea as you, and the aisles were packed wall-to-wall with people. You managed to round up a few essentials and eventually made it through one of the crowded tills, emerging through the sliding doors with an armful of groceries only to find that the skies had opened up into a downpour. _Are you kidding me?_

You half-sprinted as quickly as you could manage with your groceries in the direction of your dorm, craning your head around the bags to try and see out in front of you. You were halfway home before you accidentally stepped into a large puddle that submerged your foot ankle-deep, causing you to pitch forward and drop one of your bags. You bent down and haphazardly collected the items that fell while juggling the rest, all the while sensing the cold beads of rain drip from your hair down your back and into your eyes. 

What a rotten day this was turning out to be. You hiked up your bags and resumed your trek, breathing a sigh of relief when you finally stepped foot in your dorm. 

You stood in the entranceway, letting the wet paper bags in your arms fall unceremoniously onto the counter. You pushed away the wet hair that was plastered to the side of your face, at first thinking that no one was home since all the lights were off. You turned some on from the access panel by the door, and you saw Leonard lying in bed on his back, staring up at the ceiling with one arm flung across his forehead. 

“Hey,” you offered weakly. “I got us some food. The weather really sucks by the way.” It had been _his_ turn to pick up the groceries yesterday and he hadn’t, but you decided to leave out that part. You kicked off your water-logged boots and shrugged out of your sopping wet uniform jacket as you tried to stop yourself from shivering. 

Leonard brought up his head enough to get a look at the sorry state you were in. “That’s why they invented the umbrella.” His head dropped back to the pillow. 

You rolled your eyes, grabbing up some dry clothes and stepped into the bathroom to towel yourself off and change. When you came back out, you were annoyed that he hadn’t moved to help you un-bag the groceries while you were gone. 

“Don’t worry, I got it,” you mumbled under your breath. You began to slowly remove the items and wipe them dry with a dishtowel before setting them in the fridge, crumpling all the empty bags together when you were done and opening the lid of the trash can to throw them out. 

“Leonard, you were supposed to take the garbage out today.” 

“Huh?” He mumbled out from underneath his arm. 

“The garbage can. It’s practically overflowing.” 

He said nothing and you jutted your chin out in displeasure as you hauled out the full trash bag, setting it by the door so you could walk it downstairs later. You snatched a new bag from one of the kitchen cupboards and snapped it open sharply, stuffing it into the can along with the wadded-up paper bags. 

You looked over in his direction, seeing that he still hadn’t moved. “Is something the matter?” 

“Not particularly. Why?” 

“I don’t know.” You shrugged as you went to pull your suitcase out from under your bed. You were leaving for your brother’s place in a couple hours and you couldn’t wait. You were taking a shuttle so you’d be there before dinnertime. “You just seem a bit off.” 

“I didn’t realize I had to be on all the time for you.” 

You exhaled heavily out your nose. Whatever his problem was, you weren’t in the mood for prying it out of him. You lifted your suitcase up and heaved it on top of the bedspread, then slid out your clothing organizer from underneath the bed to start your packing. 

“Well, _excuse me_ for asking.” 

He was silent for a moment, then removed his arm from across his forehead. “Sorry. I’m just tired. I’ve been burnin’ myself out, probably.” 

You lightly folded up a T-shirt and set it in the suitcase. “Why are you studying so hard right now? It's winter break...there’s no major exams coming up. You're spending your entire vacation on schoolwork. I think you’d survive taking a night off or two.” 

He ran a hand over his face. “It’s not really that simple. You remember Jaime? The Dean’s son?” 

“Yeah.” You folded another shirt and tossed it onto the bed. “What about him?” 

“Well, after some thought and meeting the family through Jim, I decided to help out.” 

“Help out....like, administer treatment?” 

“No,” he continued to stare up at the ceiling unblinkingly. “Find him a cure.” 

You paused your folding and threw a glance at him over your shoulder. “A cure? That’s pretty ambitious. Doesn’t he have leukemia?” 

“Yes. The trials are promising but they still need work. There’s a development team workin’ around the clock but we still need more time. And Jaime doesn’t have it.” 

“Oh,” you murmured as you stuffed some rolled up socks into a suitcase pocket. “That’s too bad. I’m sure everyone is trying their best. But maybe you should take a break anyway.” 

“I can’t take a break.” 

“Why not? It’s not like it’s _your_ kid that’s dying.” 

When he didn’t respond, you looked over at him again, his eyes still fixed to the ceiling. His jaw was set and his feet that had been flicking back and forth mindlessly a moment ago had stopped dead. 

“That’s....not the point.” His voice was tight but you didn’t notice, more interested in why your roommate was driving himself into the ground for a complete stranger. 

You grabbed up a handful of pants and began sorting them. “Well, whatever the point is. It’s not worth killing yourself over.” 

“And how would you know?” He sat up now, and the tone of his voice made you narrow your eyes and turn back around, a pair of pants still in hand. 

“I know because I’ve seen how drained you’ve been over the last couple of weeks. You’re like a shell of your former self. Running ragged isn’t going to help anyone, much less that kid. You’re doing all you can do, you know? That should be enough.” 

His hand balled into a fist at his side as he sat on the edge of his bed. “That must be your motto, huh? Doing all you can. Is that what you were chanting to yourself while you were failing your exam? Look what good that did.” 

“Excuse me?” Your eyebrows shot up and your mouth gaped, all the frustration from the day fizzling up to the surface like a can of shaken soda. “I failed _one_ test. Just one. You said everyone does! Even you!” You turned back around to your suitcase, stuffing clothes in with a fury now, not even bothering to fold them. 

“Well, guess what? I lied. I never failed once. Only the people who aren’t fully committed to their studies fail. Only the people that shrug their shoulders and say “I did all I could, and I guess that’s enough.” 

Warm tears sprung up into your eyes and you pushed the last items into the suitcase with both arms, slamming it closed and zippering up the top flap hastily. “I’m sorry you had to waste your time on such a stupid roommate!” You hurriedly wheeled the suitcase to the door, snatching up your purse and your coat in your other hand as you stuffed your feet into your shoes. “Maybe next time I won’t bother to ask what’s wrong when I see you dragging your body across the floor!” 

“And I won’t help you the next time you’re on the verge of flunking the Academy!” 

You went to say more but shut your mouth, his words ripping red-hot trails through your heart like a knife. Your nostrils flared as you met his gaze in steely-eyed silence. 

“Fuck you.” You grabbed the handle of your suitcase and flung the door open, feeling the vibration through the floor as it slammed shut seconds later. 

You could barely see the hallway as the tears flowed down, but you somehow managed to make it over to the lobby and outside again. The rain had let up into a light mist, but you barely noticed, not even bothering to slip on the jacket balled up in your hand. You pulled your suitcase behind you on your way to the shuttle-bay near the edge of campus, letting your thoughts roll on without you. 

You realized as you waited to board the shuttle a half-hour later that you forgot to give Leonard his Christmas gift before you’d left, and the tears flooded back again. 

_A/N: Thank you so much for all the comments/kudos and continued support. It meant so much to hear people wanting this next chapter so badly and it really made me push to get it written and ready for you all. Sneak peek for the next chapter----Reader is going to be starting the medical portion of her training!_

_Take care and I wish everyone a wonderful week and month ahead!_

_Xoxoox_


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